I'm trying to make a decision and I'd like your thoughts. I own an RC5000i (basically a Pronto) and a, through my job, I've acquired a bunch of PDAs including an Axim X30v, an Axim X50v, and a pile of old Palm OS machines.

I just moved and the wife wants me to change up some of our entertainment center devices. As a result, I'm going to have to completely reprogram the RC5000i. So, I'm thinking, what about using a color PDA instead? Should I just ignore the RC5000i, especially since it's definitely getting a bit old and cranky?

Should I go for the Pacific Neotek stuff or something like Total Remote II or the Griffin stuff? Is the Griffin stuff even supported anymore (their Web site doesn't list the thing in their product list anymore).

Is the PDA solution a cheaper workaround to getting the RC5000i, or can it be a better solution? If so, what's the best approach, given I've got a pretty good pile of PDAs I can choose from?

And, no, I'd prefer not to buy a new Pronto. After the move and the wife's purchases, I'm pretty much thinking of going with what I've got here (although I can buy some software).

I'd really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!

I was too cheap to buy a Pronto. Since I had an old iPAQ 3900 lying around, I evaluated all of the PDA software I could find and settled on PDAWin.com's TV Remote Controller 5.5 (TVRC). It is very cheap (about $15 US) and does a pretty good job on everything except repeat keys. The reasons I picked it were:
1. Good CCF support
2. Support for an IR extender card (in CF format). The iPAQ 3900 has a CIR interface, but still has marginal range (ca. 4m.) using Nevo, which came with the iPAQ. TVRC doens't appear to use the CIR I/F. IAC, the range is much better (> 6m.) with the CF card. The card is cheap (also about $15 US), but I had to buy a CF adapter for the iPAQ (about $45 US) to use it.
The main shortcomings for me are:
1. No RF option. There is an option in the menu, but it is disabled. Apparently it was something they planned on, that never got realized. There isn't any evidence of continuing development on most of these products, with the possible exception of Promixis. PDAWIN.com doesn't respond to e-mails.
2. Number of hard keys. TVRC supports using the cursor control and 4 below the iPAQ screen, for a total of 9 hard keys. The newer Prontos (e.g. SBC RU950 & 980) seem to have 18 (assuming the cursor control also has a "center" button), which would definitely be a big improvement. Hope this helps.

Does PDAWin really supports CCF? I have not found a single CCF that work on my PDA using PDAWin. Not even the Sony TV. I got Axim 30 and Ipaq 3650, nothing seems to work.

See my answer in your new thread.