I'm not only unhappy/frustrated with the text mode visual on start-up -- I'm downright disgusted with it. I understand the need to be concerned for the owners of the units -- both morally and legally. However, I feel that functionality-limiting Big Brother tactics designed to protect users from themselves are exactly the tactics that "certain litigous socities" employ. Furthermore I feel that it is these kinds of maneuvers that REMOVE freedom (of choice) from the very people who are protected by the restricitons/limitations.

Now, along that line of thought -- if I were to WAIVE my right to protection -- or to WAIVE my ability to hold someone responsible for NOT protection me when they "ought to be" (so sayeth precedents in certain litigous societies), why on Earth should I have to do it every time I make that choice? Normally, waiving such a thing need only be done once. If I didn't want such protection I'd happily sign such a waiver -- so long as I did't have to do it again and again.

Having to select a non-textual visual every time I boot up in the car is like making me sign a waiver over and over. It's a hassle. It takes time. And as others have pointed out -- it is a distraction in and of itself.

Someone already hit on the same thing I'd find completely acceptable: A user option in Emplode. It could work as follows:
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To solve the potential litigation issues -- have the Empeg boot (by default) into a text mode visual. However, have a toggle for this behaviour in Emplode and when a user changes it (to the non-default behaviour of "boot into last used visual" or somesuch) Emplode displays a warning message to the user (which the user must OK) -- and once OK'd the user is asked again if s/he is sure (and must acknowledge the significance a SECOND time). Assuming the user provided two consecutive acknowledgements to change into "boot-to-visual" mode (or somesuch) in the car, the mode would be toggled until the user opted to change it back.

If the warning is short (i.e. readable in a reasonable amount of time) and pertinent (to whatever you wish to warn the user of) -- it should cover the company legally and still allow users who feel they are competent enough to know when to drive (versus when to look at the display) to use the unit the way they want/choose to use it...
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I hope we don't see beta 10b run on a new OS (like MacOS or Windows NT) in order to further limit the unit.

-- Bleys

"If you would judge, understand." -- Seneca