PDA's were not designed to be used as remote controls. The IR transmitter is designed to transmit data short distances from one PDA to another. Most PDA's will require some type of IR booster in order to reach the distances that the Pronto can reach. That is the biggest difference. Also, you will need to purchase Remote Control software and install it on your PDA. The Pronto is already a remote control with its own software. One advantage of a Pronto is its popularity. Because so many people have them, there are alot of customized files out there that you can download and use or sample.