Hi there... I'm a long-time One4All user (Radio Shack 15-1994 and 15-2104). I've been very satisfied with these; my older unit has finally outlived its time, so I've been shopping around for a replacement remote for my living room...

I ordered a Harmony 676 based on reviews, and after reading many of the laudatory comments in this forum. Unfortunately, I wasn't very satisfied with it, especially due to the following issues:
1. Directional controls: The "ring" seemed very awkward and unpredictable -- because all directions are "connected", I found it very hard to use for navigation; despite being deliberate about where I was pressing on the ring, it would frequently generate keypresses in the "wrong" direction (I have medium-size hands, btw). One of my main components is a media adapter (Squeezebox), so poor directional control is a deal-breaker. (I realize there are other Harmony models with discrete directional keys; I'll favor those layouts in the future.)
2. Key ergonomics: Compared to my RS remotes, the keys on the Harmony seemed smaller, stiffer, and with less "travel" -- a generally unsatisfying tactile response. In addition, I would have preferred more variation in key size (large buttons vs. small buttons) between often- and lesser-used functions. (I can appreciate that key size is probably most affected by the amount of area taken up by the LCD display.) TiVo's "peanut" remote layout is a great example of size-contrast done right, IMO.
3. Updates: The web app was reasonable, but the (Java?) updater felt very sluggish and "clunky", and the update process seemed slow as a result. (Because some keys for the Squeezebox and my DVD player didn't map correctly, I had to make learning overrides several times.) While I could deal with this issue if the updates were fast, slogging through the tweak-update-test cycle many times became an exercise in extreme frustration.

Upshot: I returned the 676. I really do like the Harmony's activity-based philosophy and onboard logic... but a succesful remote should pass a "blind feel" test, and I feel Logitech still has some significant work to do in this area.

Obviously there are many satisfied Harmony users here, so I may be standing alone on this... I'd appreciate your comments, esp. WRT other Harmony remotes I should consider (520/Xbox?). Else, I'll probably have to stay in the device-based land, at least until the activity-based units get better ergonomics.

Take a look at the 659. It has separate direction buttons and the harder gem style buttons instead of the rubber buttons on the 676. It also has 3 IR emitters that would probably transmit through thing walls (a slight exaggeration but not by much). And it's dirt cheap.

Hi Skyboy,
I noticed that you have a Squeezebox. I'm seriously contemplating getting a squeezebox, and use a Harmony 676. I know that you have returned your 676, but when you did have it, did you have any major issues with it controlling the squeezebox, other than having to learn some keys?

Thanks