Good idea, except that there are a few components behind the display that need to be well protected during shipping. Actually they need to be well protected the whole time. Also, the empeg without a face plate doesn't meet FCC regulations. The empeg would *definitely* have to be shipped with a face plate, and I can't see Digital River fitting the face plates before the ship the units. It is a pity that you can no longer order exactly the empeg you want, but I think they have found a reasonable compromise, a side effect of which is that the face plates are now cheaper - you get 3 for what you previously had to pay for one (if I understand the other posts here correctly - haven't looked myself).

(list 6284, Mk1 S/N 00299 4GB blue [for sale]. Mk2 S/N 080000094 26GB blue)