I really want to get the MX-3000, but I have a 1 year old son who loves to play with electronics (just like his dad)

Is the MX-3000 strong enough to withstand getting knocked off the coffee table, etc, or would I be better served with the 850?

I have a RTI T3...MSRP of 1199.00 and my kids arent allowed to use it...they have a pronto to use, us parents use the RTI and the kids get the pronto...I have the pronto set up with a few basic buttons.... pic of a TV and a pic of a DVD, also a big off button

If they select TV it goes to a screen with 9-10 Icons of the kids Channels....thats it, no numeric KP for them and Channel buttons dont work either

If they hit DVD everthing changes to dvd and starts playing...basic controls for DVD, play stop pause track +/-

and volume, bought it off ebay for next to nothing

if you go with a MX3000 make sure you put it up high when not in use

My youngest son has Apraxia which is a speech problem. I programmed the MX-3000 as an augmentative communication device and he used it all the time to communicate since age 2 (4yo currently). He would take it to preschool to communicate with the teachers. It has had its fair share of drops. He hasn't needed it in the past several months since his speech is starting to become intelligible. The remote is used in my living room now and both kids use it fine and it still gets dropped occasionally. My older son is 6. So far the remote has been fine. I do think an 850 is tougher though.

Bob

That is just too cool. It just proves that an open mind can overcome just about anyting LOL. I would have never thought of that type of use for the MX-3000.

Ken

Doug- The MX3000 is by far one of the best built touchscreens I've seen but as the father of a 2 1/2 yr old and a 1 year old boys I have to warn you that the inevitable drops are the least of your worries. I've seen remotes in my home used as frisbees, coasters for juice boxes, trampolines for Rescue Heroes, and about a 1,000 other uses an adult mind could not possibly imagine.

Get the MX3000 but keep it out of reach and get a cheap WeeMote or One For All when your boy gets old enough to need his own control. You may even want to consider getting that second remote now and tell the Mrs to stay away from the MX3000 too ;-)

By the way, I've seen Bob L's file in use by his son and it was truly a work of art, plus incredibly useful.

Doug,

Honestly, the MX-3000 is designed for occasional drops on a carpeted surface, but if you want the ultimate in remote reliability use the new MX-900 or the MX-850. Both withstand much higher drops and have smaller LCD areas (any LCD is a target for some two year olds with brand new hammers!). I have an MX-850 that still works after being buried by a dog for several days, dug up again, carried all over the yard and finally retrieved. The dog still eyes it, but the old newspaper roll has discouraged it so far.

Best Regards,

-Eric