Unfortunately not enough support to get the project back on the shelf. :) It's extremely hard building this type of product when you don't already have the big bucks and facilities to do it for a song. A price of $499 for the 10GB model along with some respectable retail placement and a little bit of promotion, would probably see the empeg sell like hotcakes compared to its past record.

Of course if that price isn't feasible for turning a healthy profit for SonicBlue, it can't happen. And so we're left where we are now. People are predicting equivalent products in the future (or better ones yet). Let's hope at least one of those next-gen products comes from the guys that have worked so hard on this one! They have a fantastic lead over any of the traditional audio companies in intellectual property for this type of product. That's an asset I hope is managed and leveraged aggressively in the future.

I would have loved to wait a bit longer and pick up an empeg for less than the current $699 (10GB model). But then I'd risk not being able to find one at retail if supply runs out. If the price stays the same until inventory is depleted, you'll probably see an above-retail markup on sites like eBay again.

It is a solid product with a solid foundation of technologies to expand on. EOL or not, it looks like a safe buy right now. Don't forget that companies like Alpine, Clarion, etc. EOL most of their components every 12 months or less! Most retail computer models have an even shorter life span.


If I've gotten too wordy, let me clear it up: BUY ONE. NOW.

Bruno