The Riot has some quite empeg-like features including soup views and dynamic playlists (specific instances of weighted shuffles, the sort of thing you get on the Rio Central). The UI is pretty good, and sound quality is pretty good too. I think it's a better product than the iPod apart from the physical size (although it's smaller than it looks in the photos) and the slow (relative to firewire) USB.

It even has some empeg code in it - european font support

I can't comment on PC software, other than to say there are plans afoot.

Europe are certainly expecting to sell this product, in fact I think they have already received some. I'm not sure if they are shipping yet. They will eventually turn up in the same sorts of places you can find other Rio's (i.e. just about anywhere in the UK).

Rob