Yes, I wrote them. I'm somewhat savvy in the way of computers, although I don't know Linux. I did download the developers flash, and then connect to the unit via serial cable. And was treated to the following error basically repeated over and over...

hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0 { Busy }
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:04 (hda), sector 178654

So it looks to me as though it's a bad sector. I guess there is no scandisk for the empeg? Worst comes to worst I will have to send it in to the U.S. support center. Give that place it's first customer.