I hate going to the store and buying a new CD only to have to wait to get back home to rip it and transfer it before I can listen to it. Also when a friend wants you to listen to a CD.

Bingo.. This was the main reason I hesitated so long before buying an empeg. AND the reason why I went with a Neo first....because I didn't have two DIN slots in my car. I managed to solve the DIN issue (I've put my headunit somewhere else, but still in the dash), so now I have the best of both worlds. The empeg is connected through the Aux-in of my headunit.
And, even better, when I drive to work (which is only 4k's away), I don't even put the empeg in - it's not worth the hassle. But doing so I still have music in my car, be it from CD or from the radio. Actually, this has another advantage : when the empeg is not in the car it looks like the radio has been ripped out already (the headunit is not that viewable if you don't know where to look), so this is also great anti-teft wise.
Also, my headunit is used for driving my two amps + sub. Something that the Empeg is not built to do (in software)