To be an internet remote control 'palmstar' was my dream...alas, my work is done here. I think I'll go buy a Pronto with my new found riches. (JUST KIDDING!)

The only problem with being famous is trying to read all of the thousands of fan mail I've been getting............ :-)

PDD: Keeping things in perspective, we are probably just getting our "5 seconds of fame" instead of our "15 minutes of fame". It only takes 5 seconds to get to our names in the article, and then once the reader continues into the info in the article, we are long forgotten!!! snif sniff

LOL!!!! :-)

- Greg

P.S. PDD...... is that your ONLY problem, or has WRITING all those thousands of pieces of fan mail to yourself been worse??? j/k ;-)

There are a few generic .PDB files out there. I keep a few of the ones for the motels that I stop at in my travels. Then, if I get a room with no remote, I still the fron desk to report that it is missing. But, I don't have to wait all night for a replacement. I just load the right one onto my palm and I am in business.

PDD,

The info you have posted here is great. I finally tired of my Yamaha remote and have been looking for a LCD universal. I was shown a Pronto in my local audio store and it seemed perfect. Then while researching I discovered the Omniremote for Palm. I do not own a Palm and have priced a IIIc at $399 (color screen is pretty neat). I like the idea of my remote doing other little tasks also. Will I have a problem with IR signal strength on a new a new Palm, the neo-tek site mentions an OS 3.0 upgrade card improving IR signal strength (I have no idea what they are talking about)

Also, how much more difficult will it be to program the Palm, I am Tech Savy so I can figure most things out (How long before you were up and doing basic functions prior to fine tuning?)

Basically, my bottom line question is with money not being a limiting factor would I be able to do everything the Pronto can/ and more for around the same price? (about $100 more for Palm IIIc + software)

I don't think anyone has reported here on the signal strength of the IIIc but I think it will be very similar to the other Palms. Depending on your system and your use of the remote, the built in IR might be adequate. However, many have found the built in IR to not be strong enough. It also has a fairly narrow beam.

There are various ways to improve this situation. The OS 3.0 upgrade you mention has a much stonger IR signal. I used it with a Palm 5000 and I thought it worked quite well. The upgrade, however, only works on older Pilots. But an option would be to buy an old Palm Pro and the upgrade.

There are various IR extenders sold by Pacific Neo-Tek and others. I haven't used them but others seem to be satisfied with them. One disadvantage is that you need to hold the Palm upside down, i.e. pointing at you, for them to work.

I'd recommend the Visor with Pacific Neo-Tek's Springboard module. It has a strong IR signal with reasonably wide dispersion. This solution is much cheaper than the IIIc although you won't have a color screen.

Can the Palm do everything that the Pronto can? Not quite but almost. I have both a Pronto and a Visor with the OmniRemote module. I use both and often find the Visor to be more useful. The Pronto has support for bitmap buttons which OR doesn't. While I'd love OR to support that, in practice I don't find that I miss them on the Visor. There are also some differences in the capability of the macros and the programming of the hard keys. The Pronto is more capable than the current OR. For me, these differences are minor annoyances.

An advantage to using the Palm/Visor as your remote is that it can also contain other information such as your CD list for you CD changer, a TV guide, movie ratings, etc. See other postings on this subject.

If you want a pure remote and money is no object, then I think the Pronto wins. If you want a more complete device whose remote features are not very different from the Pronto's and which costs less, I'd suggest the Visor/OR module combination.

If you decide on a Palm or Visor and OmniRemote, I'd suggest that you also have a look at ORDesktop to help you lay out your screens. (Pardon the sales pitch;-)

Peter Sharpe
www.ordesktop.com

I have a great use for OmniRemote, backed up by my purchase of 5 Handsprings and the 5 OmniRemote module.

I build tradeshows, which means I use/rent/buy lots of projectors, plasmas, tubes, etc. Each of these high end remote costs big bucks to replace. While dedicated remotes are easier to use (for example, to adjust multiple/stacked video projectors) the convenience of carrying one, combined device -- that I carry anyway -- is GREAT.

Now my crew each have a Visor as their master remote for all our gear. And I do use one at home too (though I wish RF was easier&stylish). All in all, a Great combination.

paul
[email protected]

Paul

Anyone have a crack for the trial version of OmniRemote?

I am using OR+Springboard module & ORDesktop. Everything works fine except I am unable to make the Philips TiVO remote control commands work - they train fine on the Handspring (acc to the OR software, beeps and such) but do not *DO* anything when activated. Other IR commands such as for TV, VCR work fine.
Any ideas what could be going on / how to fix this ?
Thanks
Robert

Mike D.V......

Come on. For $20, you want to hack the program? It gives you plenty enough to work with to know what it is like. And if you download ORDesktop trial version from ORDesktop.com, you get an even better idea how OmniRemote will work for you.

It makes me sick that people look to hack programs where the manufacturer is at least giving out trial versions with enough versatility for a good analysis.

Plus, you can get plenty of info in the PDA forum.

Quit trying to be a thief!

PeterS!!!! Watch he doesn't download ORDesktop and try hacking that too!!!

- Greg........ flaming all the way!!!!! :-P

Can I use this product from the Smarthome site to attach to the IR port on my Palm III as a sort of IR in to IR out amplifier?

8174 IR Blaster- External IR emitter $9.95

Or do I still need the:

8220A Infrared Remote Extender $49.95

I really don't need the RF unit and I thought the 8174 part would be a cheap way to go instead of the OmniRemote IR blaster.

Paul

What RF do you want Omniremote to do? If it is X-10 It can be done if you are willing to do some soldering, and editing with Ordesktop.

o.k. i've decided to get a visor tomorrow after reading this thread(longggg) anyways i was wondering if ORdesktop is mac compatible.or if there are any plans to make it so.thanks for all the info hwshi

Craig
The product you asked about,8174 ir blaster will not work for you the way you want it to.
What it is an emitter that the plugs into the remote control extender 8220A.There is not a way to attach it to the Palm 3.

ORDesktop is not Mac compatible and I know of no plans to make it so......... but one never knows.

Greg :-)

Well, after reading this thread I decided to give it a try. I bought a Palm IIIe and ordered OmniRemote software and Module. Within a few days a had all 6 of my remotes working on my Palm. I spent several hours desiging and re-designing my layouts. I wanted a consistent look from one device to another, so it took a little planning, but it was efficient. However, I have these minor issues:
- Cannot get my Panasonic DVD player to work from more than 6 feet away. All the other devices work from around 20 ft!
- After the Palm timed out, I always had to turn it back on to use it
- the IR module has to be pointed at the device, from that angle I can't see the screen. PacificTek - I suggest you modify the module to emit at about a 45 degree downward angle. I actually held a small mirror above the unit at an angle and could get it to work and still see the screen, but that's not practical!

If anybody out there wants a 2 month old Palm IIIe (with all the trimmings) and an Omniremote module/software combo for $150, let me know at [email protected]

Dan