Today's NYTimes has a special section all about cars. Among other things, there are two articles that talk about in-dash MP3, one focusing on hobbyists and the other on commercial products. Neither Empeg nor mp3mobile are mentioned anywhere, despite being the first / best of their kind...

Neither Empeg nor mp3mobile are mentioned anywhere, despite being the first / best of their kind...

Okay, I'm reading threads like this one and the TechTV thread down below, and it's clear we all need a reminder, so here goes...

We're a cult.

Just accept it. The media had its opportunities to love the empeg, both before and after the SonicBlue acquisition, and passed on most of them. Except for some geeklust in Wired magazine and a few high-end audio mags, the empeg hit the press with a barely audible "thud."

The empeg was not a commercial success, and even without the dreadful marketing and order fulfilment following the SonicBlue acquisition, it was never going to be a commercial success. The market wasn't ready for a product as advanced as the empeg, and even if a new batch was made and aggressively marketed tomorrow, there would be no chance at selling enough units to make profit.

Look, I'm willing to bet a majority of the folks who saw the TechTV segment actually *did* believe it was a new product, because it *could* be a new product. Several years later, there have been just a smattering of entries into the hard-drive based MP3 player market, and they're all laughable in comparison to the empeg. As Jan said, "the empeg simply was too far ahead of it's time."

So please, everybody, just accept the fact that the press has always ignored the empeg, and will continue to do so. And enjoy it. Being in a cult is fun, provided Rob and Hugo don't force us all to drink any special Kool Aid.

We're a cult.

Remember that, over time, some cults can grow to become actual religions.

The ones without the kool-aid, of course.

Cult issues aside, somebody in SonicBlue's PR department missed a chance to get a plug in here, even for the use of portable MP3 players like the Rio Riot (or Apple iPod). Likewise, it would have made the homebrew article more interesting to talk about how one homebrew guy tried to make a company out of his hobby and what became of that...

Granted, but haven't we stopped counting the number of boats SonicBlue has missed with regards to marketing?

In reply to:

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We're a cult.

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Jeez, do you realize how many suspected cults this means I am in now?

1. Empeg
2. Macs
3. Unix
4. Jeeps

Maybe I am trying to make up for not being religious?

-Mike

Sorry, the other three count as full-blown religions at this point.

Yup. Three years vs. nineteen years vs. thirty-one years vs. sixty-one years.

I'm not sure how anyone at SB could have known TechTV were going to run that segment.. we sent them their car player about two years ago!

Rob

Remember that, over time, some cults can grow to become actual religions.

The ancient sages said 'Do not despise the snake for having no horns, for who is to say it will not become a dragon?' So may one just man become an army.

Peter

Remember that, over time, some cults can grow to become actual religions

I agree.
I remember watching in the History Channel, this documentary
about some guy named Jesus starting a small Jewish cult. And look at how well that spread.

I'm not sure I buy this whole cult thing. If the empeg is a cult, then what about my old Amiga and my new PowerMac? What about my analog auto-winding wristwatch? My Kinesis keyboard? My TiVo?!??! Jeez, you'd think that anybody with discerning tastes in their gear is automatically a cult fanatic.

Or, maybe there really is something to this. Hmm....

Yes, but we have Empeg MEETS. We actually gather to pay homage to the Empeg. Now that sounds cultic if you ask me. I don’t think that owning an Empeg necessarily makes you a member, but this board . . . well we are a pretty interesting group. I don’t know of any other “cult” that is diverse as we are.

I’m NOT drinking Kool Aid however . . . Unless maybe someone gives me a second free Empeg for it

I’m NOT drinking Kool Aid however . . . Unless maybe someone gives me a second free Empeg for it

The Kool Aid I believe Tony was thinking of would give you precious little time to enjoy your new empeg. (google for "Jim Jones")

Edit: Then again, you might know about that - was just unsure [shrug]

/Michael

Yes, I was aware. Just showing the strength of my devotion!

That's dedication alright!

/Michael

As a former editor and producer, it's hard to justify doing a piece on an item that is EOL'd. Why excite consumer demand for a unit that doesn't exist?

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, and pitching a story around the empeg for a magazine would make a good story.

> If the empeg is a cult, then what about my old Amiga

I tend to think a consumer product crosses into idolistic cult-dom when people still use it as if it's the best and only thing in its class. Like if you're still tracking MODs on your Amiga for the "scene", you might be part of a cult.

Well, of course, the empeg is different because it IS the best and only (figuratively) thing in its class. But still, when you start hacking the kernel, carving new face plates out of wood, and writing your own Flances for the Door, you MIGHT be crossing into the black caped world of cult-dom.

My cape is purple, Thank you.

Hey all

Kool-Aid is kinda passe these days....Sunny D is the drink of choice for discerning cultists nowadays...

Sheesh, get with it will ya?

I'm not sure is "Electric Sunny-D Acid Test" has the right ring to it though... I think I'll stick with cool-aid.

Matthew

Well, one of the positives about Sunny-D is that you don't have to add anything to it for it to be poisonous.

it's hard to justify doing a piece on an item that is EOL'd

Tell me about it, I'd just got a euphoric article on the Empeg for a readers "can't do without" gadget column accepted for the Daily Telegraph, when Rio pulled the plug.