With everyone frothing at the mouth over 2.0, I wanted to make sure that those who haven't seen it understand something: It's not the Second Coming of Christ. It's a great software upgrade, and the release notes you read are accurate. However it's not the end-all be-all of human existence. On the surface, it still looks and performs essentially the same as 1.03 did (which was really good to begin with). All of the changes are solid, incremental, logical changes. I just wanted to say this because I didn't want anyone to get whipped up into a frenzy over it.

But while I'm on the subject, J., if you're reading, how is that Second Coming thing coming along anyway?

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Tony Fabris

haha, it's been a year, and geeks tend to froth at the mouth if there hasn't been a software release in the last 2 weeks.
Look at debian, it's been a year since the last major release, and people are allready saying it's old and useless. even tho I run it every day, without a hitch. just because apache 1.3.9 is less than 1.3.19, doesn't cause it to be worthless. (backported security patches of course)

12gig red mk2 -- 080000125

It's easy to have that attitude when you've seen the incremental changes as they have happened.

It's another thing when you haven't had a new feature for over a year now, when previously you were used to a new release every month or so with new features/bugfixes.

:)

(O|||||O)

haha, it's been a year, and geeks tend to froth at the mouth if there hasn't been a software release in the last 2 weeks.
Look at debian, it's been a year since the last major release, and people are allready saying it's old and useless. even tho I run it every day, without a hitch. just because apache 1.3.9 is less than 1.3.19, doesn't cause it to be worthless. (backported security patches of course)


2 WEEKS?????

Why am I running apt-get update every day then???????????????

I've been living on that bleeding edge for so damn long, anything without a metre of cutting surface just doesn't effect me.

It's easy to have that attitude when you've seen the incremental changes as they have happened.


Yeah... What he said.

Please don't take this the wrong way, Tony.... But it's kinda hard for the people that haven't used the alphas to view you as objective on this matter.

Especially when we see feature lists for quite some time, and hear the "WOW" posts from members of the Empeg crew and alpha team.

I think that most people would agree that this release is a bit overdue, being pushed back for various reasons. I don't want to go into the reasons why, as they have been hashed here before... I'm just happy that it's finally (almost) here.

Am I expecting the Second Coming? No, simply because the 1.x series IS pretty damn good. But that doesn't mean that I'm not eagerly anticipating this new release.

Please don't take this the wrong way, Tony.... But it's kinda hard for the people that haven't used the alphas to view you as objective on this matter.

Not only that, but people outside the alpha team saw 1.1 (now 2.0) at the Woodside, CA meet. I would have gone, but it live 3000 miles away. I have yet to see any of 1.1/2.0 besides emplode.

-Rob R
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12GB MK2 Blue 090000736 (6166 in the queue)
10GB "Backup" MK2a Blue 030102953

But it's kinda hard for the people that haven't used the alphas to view you as objective on this matter.

Good point. I can assure you that I am objective precisely because I've used both releases. I used 1.1 for a little while earlier in this year on its initial pass, then switched gears back to the 1.03 codebase to test it for a long time up until just a couple weeks ago. Then I went back to 1.1/2.0 as they neared public beta. My point is that I have been going back and forth between the two, and although 2.0 is an excellent software release, 1.03 stands up very well in comparison because (as you said) it was damn good to begin with.

The list of features and bug fixes in 2.0 is massive, but I just wanted everyone to know that it won't change the way you use your player. Everything is still the same as it always has been, it's just more refined.

But that doesn't mean that I'm not eagerly anticipating this new release.

Hey, I'm all for eagerly anticipating. That's fine. It's worth "eager anticipation". I just wanted to make sure no one was frothing at the mouth over it.

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Tony Fabris

Everything is still the same as it always has been, it's just more refined.


Minus the occasional drive munchies, of course.

For my point, the refinements are the points I want the most.

Me? I can't stand that that info line CLIPS the visual display. It drives me absolutely BUGGY. So, I'm waiting anxiously for the transient and scaled display. It's a DAMN minor thing. I'll be the first to admit that. But as I pointed out earlier... I tried that Patience thing a while back, and gave it up after it took too long.

Having said that, looking through the release notes makes me want it even more, FOR those refinements and everything else that's there.

And Yes, I'm frothing at the mouth waiting for it. I was freaking NUTS at the gym last night because it wasn't out...
which was a good thing, as I converted alot of that into a respectable increase in weight.. but that's another BBS.

But I'm frothing because I see the Very good, and know that anyone capable to doing what we have now, is capable of putting the refinements to make it even closer to perfect. And that perfect is what I want.

Won't get it... out of ANYTHING man-made, but I'll certainly anticipate a closer step.

haha, yea.. I should have said the word "stable" release, I use stable on my server, but I apt-get update on my laptop every day to keep up with all the fun woody toys. :)

12gig red mk2 -- 080000125

I was freaking NUTS at the gym last night because it wasn't out...

You too eh? Yesterday was shoulders day for me, and it feels today like I hadn't been to the gym in weeks. So sore I'm going to have to make today legs day.

(O|||||O)

You too eh? Yesterday was shoulders day for me, and it feels today like I hadn't been to the gym in weeks. So sore I'm going to have to make today legs day.


Oh, yesterday was legs and biceps... I was so fired up, I broke past my previous plateau (sp) at 405 on Squats to 450 for 2 sets of 8 reps...

Leg day is fun. In a REALLY sadistic manner. I have trouble walking for about 3 days afterwards. 5-6 sets of squats, immediately over to leg press for another 5 sets (only picked up 900Lbs yesterday... squats took a shitload of strength away), then hit leg extensions... Rest about 5 minutes and then do 4 exercises of Biceps. Finish it off with some calves and you're pretty fried. Takes me and my ex-roommate about 3 hours to run through it all

Today is Triceps and chest, light abs... Skip wed, Hit back, light biceps, and the REST of the leg muscles Thursday, then Shoulders, triceps and light chest again on Friday.

It's a lovely schedule as you hit pretty much everything twice in a week, but still get time to rest muscle groups between. I've made some amazing strength jumps doing this.

Being inconsistent for the last 2 months REALLY hurt us, but we're finally back to about 95% of where we were before we stopped.

Me? I can't stand that that info line CLIPS the visual display. It drives me absolutely BUGGY. So, I'm waiting anxiously for the transient and scaled display. It's a DAMN minor thing.

I totally agree. "Minor" things, which we may very well call "details" rather that irrelevant stuff, ARE WHAT quality is built up on. And if on one hand the current player IS a definitely high quality piece of software, on the other hand all the small refinements like the one you just mentioned will increase it, definitely.
Plus, I don't definitely consider the possibility to manage playlists and repeat modes from my car a "detail", it's something I'll be using continuously, and the new visuals and info modes will make a big difference in terms of enjoyment and comfort when driving. Or, just think of the forth coming Cross Fading! Those are not minor things at all. Not for me! So... I' can't wait! .

Now please, don't take this as a complaint for the delay. Honestly I would never complain, and don't agree much with those who do, all considered. As others mentioned here, the only fact that sw upgrade is being provided is something unique, if compared to ANY other electronic device. Except for Tivo, maybe. I am just making the point that the changes implemented in v. 2.0 are not all minor, and many of them WILL make the difference in the way many of us use the empeg.

Taym
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MK II BLUE/RED 12GB #923

Just to keep everyone excited, I think it's the Second Coming ;) It's definitely evolution not revolution, but they're great refinements.

Mike

Just to keep everyone excited, I think it's the Second Coming

Hmm... I'm not sure I'd use the phrase "Second Coming", but it's certainly going to make a lot of people's days. As Tony and Mike have said, the changes are certainly evolutionary (it's a bit difficult to identify the evolutionary paths for some of the features, though) - but they do make the Empeg Car even more of a pleasure to use than it had previously been, and many of them are things that people have been clamoring for almost since the product was originally released.

Still, when I've had to go back to the 1.0 series of releases (such as testing 1.03), it hasn't been a tragic loss - the thing I've missed most from 1.1/2.0 when I've done so, believe it or not, is the Elapsed/Total time display in "Info: Track". Tony's right, it won't cause a drastic change in the way you use your player (except for those who will start using visuals more because of "Info: Transient"; that might be considered drastic :).

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Daniel M. Zimmerman, Caltech Computer Science
Mk.2 #060000058, 36GB
Mk.1 #00101, 10GB

I think 2.0 will affect the way I use my empeg most of the time, due to its more flexible search and list manupulation features (insert, search by playlist, bookmark). Now it is nerly always in shuffle all mode, and I think I will be actively selecting what I want to hear more often when 2.0 arrives.

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

I agree, I think the biggest change in my usage behavior with the player was when we got the ability to insert search results. That now gets used quite frequently.

But when I had to go back to 1.03, it wasn't a huge problem.

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Tony Fabris