Thanks, that was a good review.

I've used the hard-drive pullout trays before, so I know what they're like. It sounds like it's a much simpler system. Different enough from the Empeg so that it's not really direct competition, but very useful in its own right. The Empeg (even the Mark 1) has some advantages over that design, but it's more expensive.

It sounds like the MP shuttle is the one to go with if you:
- Want to add MP3s to an existing car stereo but you don't have an extra DIN space in the dash.
- Have trouble getting USB to work (for instance if you have a '95 or NT4 system).
- Want to use your own hard disk(s), and don't mind installing the unit into a 5.5" bay.
- Like the idea of storing your MP3s once on a single hard disk that can be shared between your car and your computer.

The Empeg seems to be the one to go with if you:
- Want to put a whole new head unit in your car (or, like me, you're replacing a stolen CD player with it).
- Want the visualizations and the fancy playlist functions.
- Don't want to take up an extra 5.5" slot on your computer.
- Want the full-pull-out security of the Empeg (if, for example, you had a removable faceplate stereo and it got stolen anyway... like me).