I like the very things that make it non-modern !

The wide viewing angle monochrome display, the simple button interface.

If you want a colour display and an mp3 player I would have thought many things would do the job. XBMC on small PC or Raspberry Pi would probably do what you are after ?

In many ways a high level language coded mp3 player with simpler visuals and a touch screen interface would be far less work than cloning the original empeg experience. I estimate the original empeg software is between 2 and 4 man years of effort - if I start now in a year or two my code will be almost as functional as the original :-)

Jon