I'm looking at the Creative “Zen” patent that is causing so much buzz these days, and I need to know how the empeg MK1 menus operated before 2000.

I see, from searching prior posts, that hierarchical playlists were added in the empeg Beta7 release, on Sept. 30, 1999. Unfortunately, the only depiction I have on how to navigate playlists seems to come from the Rev. 2 user's manual available on empeg.com, from some time in the 2000 time frame. The manual depicts the selection of “playlists” from a top-level function menu, with a horizontal set of “genre” playlists.

My question, for empeg owners familiar with the MK1 software, as it existed in 1999, is:

1. Did the Mk1 software circa Sept. 1999 permit you to navigate hierarchical playlists the same way as was done in the Mk2?

2. In 1999, did you implement multiple levels of nested playlists, including genre, artist, album, and tracks within an album playlist?

3. Physically, how did you navigate down each level of nested playlist, and what did the empeg display show at each level?

4. At the lowest level, could you directly select a particular track to play, and if so, how?.

5. Can anyone direct me to a user guide/manual for the Mk1 that showed how to navigate among playlists?

I’ve been given a very tight schedule to come up with answers, and would really appreciate your help.