I am in dilemma again:

My whole CD collection (and it keeps expanding) would berely fit on 36G, with 128kb/s (or equivalent VBR) compression. I would really like not to have to make selection for empeg, nor to compromize on compression quality.

So: being #5196, and having deffered once, when could I expect to be able to order if I decide to wait for 60+G model?

Cheers!

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
#5196

Order the Empeg now, you silly person.

Here is the thing:

1) It takes time to rip your collection, so you won't fill it up right away. It'll take at least a couple months if you take your time about it and don't do any marathon ripping sessions.
2) You don't HAVE to rip every album now, just your favorites and the ones you sorta-like.
3) Get a single-drive unit, like the 18gb model, and when you fill that up, add your own drive (at whatever the biggest size they've managed to come up with in laptop drives is at that time). That way, you won't have to re-upload your collection, you'll just add the second drive and the disk space will appear and be usable.

Understand that bigger drives than 18gb will fit in the Empeg, the only problem is Empeg being able to source those drives in large quantities. If you're just a consumer, making onesie-twosie purchases, you should be able to get the bigger drives with less trouble.

___________
Tony Fabris

Get a single-drive unit, like the 18gb model, and when you fill that up, add your own drive...

Tony, you are a great chap! You not only can't stand being without empeg yourself, you can't even stand somebody else being without empeg any longer than absolutely necessary!

Well, your suggestion was all the time plan A, of course. I was more or less just trying to get Rob put arrival of larger drives in a more precise timeframe (I should have known better, knowing how he avoided commiting to a timeframe for open-sourcing emptool even as he was preparing announcement for the geek site :) If it was in a month or two, I might well wait: I am leaving for vacation, then I have to find resourcefull installer to solve Twingo installation problems, my home machine for ripping (and streaming once em...oops, Rio Receiver starts shipping) is still not there - my home machine is now an ancient ThinkPad under RedHat (and office is full of various Unices)... In other words, time enough. But you are probably right - why to deny myself a nice toy for a couple of months?

Thanks!

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
#5196

The drive issue really is out of our hands. I have no idea when IBM's new 30/32Gb drives will become available, in quantity or otherwise.

My guess would be Autumn (Fall) but it could be longer if IBM have a fab problem, or if they're all snapped up by major laptop OEM's.

Rob

Thanks again, Tony, for clearing my dilemma. When arrived home few moments ago (from a concert of Belarus etno music with a pocketfull of CDs - more space!!), I found invitation e-mail waiting. I did not wait and think and reconsider and hesitate, but orderd right away 18G model. Actually, I was so excited I forgot to enter my city (only street and postal code) !

Cheers!

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
#5196