if it has a CPU that get's hot enough to need a CPU fan.. it's going to generate way too much heat for an in-dash DIN module

I hear your concerns. My dash gets warm with the empeg.
So two things:
1) I use these all the time in sealed pc104 containers and the heat is not a problem. I have one (400MHz K6 panther) in front of me running the computer I am typing on and it runs very cool. Its not exactly a gighertz cpu when it comes to heat. I think the fan is a good precaution. You have to remember that the panther board has more everything than the empeg (MHz, conectivity, features) so it will require more power. You can get processors and features closer to the empeg and then no fan is required like the empeg. People could choose the cpu/features that are important to them and the same player software could run. I will put the pc104 cpu in a box in my dash and monitor cpu temp for a while and see what happends.

2) Doesn't exactly need to go in the dash, just the display. The main unit can go anywhere which many people have asked for anyway. It would be nice to have an empeg that you could plug in under your seat or in the back (trunk, boot). Out of sight of theives.

There isn't exactly a 15amp barrier on accessories you can add. There is an alternator capability barrier that varies by vehicle but even stock equipment can handle more than 15A extra load. From what I have heard in the install section, almost everybody runs a larger wire back for their amps anyway. Anybody that thinks they need a 4 or 8 gauge wire couldn't possible be concerned with 2 extra amps! The head unit I use with the empeg is a alpine with video (cva-1000) and it draws about 15amps alone when the video screen is on.

The pc104 seems like the most universal and expandable platform for mobile computing. With a few hardware accessories you could reproduce the empegs functionality as well as having (almost) the functionality of a desktop pc. Since empeg/Rio won't be creating new hardware, the next logical step would be to develop a hardware standard like this, sort of like open source for hardware. If the software is going to be recreated as open source you might as well make it work on this type of platform because it would be expandable and future compatable. It would also run on your home PC.

It just seems like a excellent opportunity if the software is going to be redeveloped anyway.

Alex Lear