It's really nice to see that an opinion that conflicts with the majority of Pronto users can be posted here and taken with such open-mindedness. As a user interface designer, I've learned that there's no such thing as a perfect interface--some people want tactile feedback where others want menus and help screens. Where some want absolute ease of use, others want configurability. Suffice it to say that there is no "right" answer to "what's the best remote." Clearly, anyone who doesn't like a touchscreen interface would be better suited to choose another remote.
For me, the Pronto is the remote I've always wanted. It's the only universal remote I've ever owned that allowed me to put all my other remotes in a drawer and forget I ever had them. With my other universal remotes, I always caught myself looking at the buttons anyway, so I lose nothing in having a touchscreen, and I gain everything. As I've admitted before, I'd have preferred to have a hard cursor pad on the Pronto, but that's just about the only thing I would change.
Pablo, all of your concerns are legitimate. For some folks, Pronto is just not the way to go. And I think we all agree that Philips' support of this VERY expensive universal remote is beyond pathetic. It would not take a skilled programmer very long at all to write an application that would let you choose your devices from a list, then create a task-based interface by asking a few simple questions about how your system is hooked together. Daniel has founded a wonderful community here, but he shouldn't have needed to.
I'm behind the Pronto all the way, but you're right that I wouldn't recommend it to very many people. Most consumers want turn-key solutions. The Pronto is NOT one of those.
So goodbye, Pablo. Your viewpoint is noted and respected, at least by me. Hopefully someone from Philips does actually read this site, and perhaps they can learn something from your departure. Pronto has a shot at being the most useful home theater component since the VCR-- I'd sure like to see it live up to that potential.
