May I suggest adding a rear panel USB port for the new 978. I rarely hook up anything else on my 990 so the rear port is ideal for those with permanent connections.

As an example I use my 990 with a MacBook and a external drive for lossless audio. So for me, no unsightly wires show up front.

With that said having a USB upfront is convenient for those that connect temporary devices.

How about one up front, and for us old angry men, the rear USB too!

The March update made it sounds like the feature set was well locked in from the tooling / componet level. I think had the Outlaws been able to add some things a USB connection on the back panel, in addition to the "convenient but vulnerable" front panel would'v been on a lots folks "change orders"...