My experience is that the same amount of money invested in internal modifications as performed by someone that knows what they are doing will typically easily outperform an external unit of similar value. Whether you recoupe your value on the unit is another story and whether the unit remains reliable after modifications is up to the modifier, modifications, how they are done and the quality of parts used.
Having said that, i would look for a unit that you were willing to live with as is and then put money into it. Any unit can be improved upon, but when you find something that you really like as it is and can make it even better, then you've got something you'll want to hang onto. By the time something else comes along that will easily "kick its' ass", it won't be worth much anyhow due to age. That is, unless technology and formats really take off / stabilize real soon. Sean
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Having said that, i would look for a unit that you were willing to live with as is and then put money into it. Any unit can be improved upon, but when you find something that you really like as it is and can make it even better, then you've got something you'll want to hang onto. By the time something else comes along that will easily "kick its' ass", it won't be worth much anyhow due to age. That is, unless technology and formats really take off / stabilize real soon. Sean
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