What I'd like to see, in v2 of the hardware of course, is an IDE plug that allows me to use a cheap $30 CD-ROM as a CD player for the Empeg. With the lack of third party stand-alone car CD players, this would make a really nice way to add a CD player to the unit and also allow the unit to control the CD player.

Sorry, no chance. An external IDE bus just won't get through CE approvals testing, it would radiate like crazy.

Hugo