Which WAP are you using? Linksys, D-Link, MS....

Bear

Linksys WAP11 right now.

I have an urge to upgrade my Airport (11 Mbit 802.11b) and get an Airport Extreme (54 Mbit 802.11g). The new airport cards are not compatible with any old mac hardware though, damnit. :-( And I don't know of any PC cards yet. (My best friend has a Lucent wireless 11Mbit card on her PC laptop that works on my Airport wireless net.)

I was looking at the "G" version of the Linksys, but it wasn't available in my area yet. At any rate, iPronto comes with a Philips-branded "B" PCMCIA card.

Daniel,

Do you plan on doing a mini-review anytime soon?

Also, I assume you got a preview model from Philips to beta-test (or something along those lines). Do you know how many other units Philips shipped? Just curious if we'll be seeing reviews popping up from others anytime soon.

I just completed my home theather and still have a Pronto Pro in the box (sealed). I am hoping that I can hold out for a little while longer and get my hands on the iPronto and return or sell my Pronto Pro. The iPronto is (I think) really exactly what I was looking for. Hopefully a review or two will confirm this for me. :-)

Thanks,

Jonathan

Andrea,
I was thinking of doing the same, but I can't see the advantage. Even with my current connection to the net the best speed is 4.5mbits (which is where I pull large files via, be it downloads from the web or traces for the job). Unless you are transfering large files between your in home systems, or setting up a wireless media center not sure the cost is justified. So, having said all that, what are you doing with it that you need that bandwidth?

Bear

BTW Jonathan, Not sure I would act on a review by anyone other than Daniel.

I agree

I was at the 2003 CES and spent a few minutes with the iPronto. The booth was positioned right by the stage where dancers and gymnasts were constantly doing a show to draw crowds, and the noise and crowd made it very difficult to concentate and thoroughly evaluate the iPronto.

Being a current owner of a ProntoPro 6000, I was overall quite disappointed with the iPronto. There are other more generic devices that are rapidly filling in the gap that the pronto line occupies.

The future will be a tablet sort of device such as a Progear or Tablet PC, running a full version of Windows XP or Windows CE.

I was very impressed by several other devices that provided all the functionality of the iPronto, but also have other features, some at a much lower price point. Web tablets running Mira or full-blown Windows XP tablet edition or even Windows CE PDAs are converging on the pronto and are much more versatile devices.

Tablet devices running Windows can connect to a PC by running Remote Desktop, giving you a fast easy way of controlling your PC from the tablet. Your PC in turn can become a infrared/X10 hub with a device such as a slink-e. Your tablet (coupled to your PC) then can completely control your home theater by infrared, as well as provide home automation using X10 with a simple web interface written in XML.

Several vendors were displaying powerful solutions using this form of interface which has several key advantages:

designed on windows and standard XML - familiar interface for people
XML is portable - will work on any device that provides this interface. Could even work over the internet remotely
Fully two way interface (remote control gives feedback on the status of the device, song playing, etc.)
Very powerful scripting language - completely programmable
Infinitely expandable - I saw three different software programs, one written almost entirely in Macromedia Flash, and two others that ran on both tablet PCs as well as handhelds running windows CE.
Can use the device for other purposes such as web browsing, e-mail with Microsoft Outlook, or even word processing with Microsoft Word. (After all, these devices are just running Windows)
Connections to CCD cameras for home security/monitoring

Check out a site called www.cinemaronline.com for an example of this sort of interface.

Frankly, with fully functional laptops selling from gateway for $999 for example, and Progear tablets available on e-bay for $500-$900, I don't know how Philips will sell these iProntos for $1600. You are paying more for a product that is less versatile, and can only be used with the software provided by one vendor (Philips).

Sorry. I say NO to iPronto.

Varun

Part of the BIG advantage of devices like Pronto Pro or iPronto is that they are NOT PC's. PC based devices have several disadvantages:

- Boot time
- Bomb/lock up
- Compatibility (lack of)
- Non primary users will screw it up (i.e. your kids)
- Full PC interface (requires user sophistication)

The last of these is probably the most important. If I gave my wife a PC or Laptop or the like to control our home stereo it would only be myself using it. True consumer interfaces have tremendous inherent value.

While iPronto is expensive, so is a ProntoPro for what it is. Nonetheless, people buy them and probably same for iPronto.

I looked at a CE device year ago when I bought a Pronto Pro. Too many issues then and still now. And I don't want to use my laptop (tablet or otherwise) to turn the TV/stereo on.

802.11 is a fantastic backbone for devices like this and there will undoubtedly be more consumer electronics using it.

John, I agree with you 100%.

Does the ipronto not have to boot up? I missed that one. To me the biggest problem is the 640x480.

never played with one, but if it is like the Prontos, then it is always on.


don't forget this is primarily a remote :-)

The iPronto does have to boot, but not during normal use.

do you mean the same way as the Pronto (i.e. when you download a config or something?)

I guess no one asked the important questions, does the ipronto/tsu3000 have games like the Pronto and ProntoPro?

Well, when it loses power for sure. I don't know about downloading files, since I don't yet have iProntoEdit, however it's likely.


Nope! Not yet.