What are the pros/cons of Pronto vs. Pilot for a home control remote (theater, X-10, etc.)? I still haven't actually seen pronto, but I downloaded the OmniRemote Software and it seems to be a decent product.

Thoughts?

Mark,

The Pronto (or RC-5000 series) seems to have much more powerful IR transmitters than a Palm and there is a much more customization available via Pronto Edit or the comparable RC-5000 software. Personally, I own both a Palm Pilot IIIxe and a RC-5000, both marvelous devices but really intended for different uses.

Cheers,
Roger K.

Well, one thing is the IR signal strength of each. The Pronto has an incredible IR emitter (see the cool infrared comparison of various remotes on this site at
[Link: remotecentral.com]). With my Pronto, I do not have to point it directly towards the device I am controlling - pointing up towards the ceiling works just as well. By comparison, the Palm Pilot's IR emitter is very weak. I have not actually tried OmniRemote on my Palm Vx, but I researched it before I bought my Pronto, and everything I read about it said that an add-on IR amplifier was an absolute necessity.

Tom

I've just ordered a Handspring Visor, with the expansion port in back. I noticed while shopping around for it that there is an Omniremote module you can get for it that adds more powerful IR emitters, and has the omniremote software built in. At about $60, and the starting price of $180 for a Visor, you may end up with a strong competitor for the Pronto, at a better price. PLUS, you'll have one of the best PDAs to play with too.

Dave

It's an excellent PDA, but can leave a little something to be desired when it comes to a remote. Be sure to report back with your opinions.

The idea of the PDA sounds good just because it is completely customizable, if not by omni-remote, you can code your self with the GNU open source products available. Not difficult if your a programmer and know a little C, as I do. The thing that concerns me the most is the infrared compability. I'm seen the extenders for 20-30 bucks, but I'm wondering how well they actually work.

Just wait until the Advance VR3 and VR5 PDAs hit the market hard! It is a Linux PDA, so all the hackers will unite and out of the fray will come a Remote software package. It comes with a commercial strength IR transmitter. Just think of the logic you could put behind each button, given that you could write everything in C/C++ for your remote screens. The VR5 will be a color screen and both remotes come with 8-16 Meg of memory. This will be the true competition for Pronto, with the exception of the R/F possibilities of the Pronto Pro...

The biggest problem with PDA remotes (Palm based ones anyway) is their screens, they are optimized for daylight. They suck for night viewing. Where the Pronto is not the best in bright light but super at night.

What are you Pronto owners going to do with your OLD Pronto's when you decide you just have to have the latest version of the Pronto series.
It would be nice if you could use it as a orginizer that has the capabilities to run thousands of other programs.
I'm sure you guys don't see it that way.

Happy Holidays.

Dan

I'll do the same thing as when I have to have the latest Palm Pilot, give it to friend or family member that could not afford one. I've had my Pronto for 2 years and have no temptation to replace it. Most folks that have to have the latest and greatest electronic toys probably would not be satified with a 2 year old palm device and would not wait until they upgraded their home theater remote to have one.

If you need an organizer, get an organizer.
If you need a "Home Theater" organizer, get a Pronto.

Well, the wife's Visor has been unwrapped. I can easily see why these are such popular PDAs. The fact that it is only 1/2" thick and about 1/3 the weigh of a Pronto makes me seruously interested in considering one for a universal remote.

I see no conflict with PDA functionality on a universal remote. Like most grownups, we find lots of things to do while watching the typical TV re-run. Using the remote is only an occasional event. The ability to quickly jump between the omniremote application and whatever game or other PDA application being used sounds like a GREAT advantage to me.

We've had the Visor one night now. I've already figured out how to download TV-Guide listings to it. We used it as a scorepad for our Scrabble game. My wife looked up the name of a Physician she had to call (I had pre-loaded her old address book onto her Visor). If we'd have had the onmiremote module and software on the Visor, it would have eliminated any need for the Pronto.

I'll agree that the backlight leaves something to be desired. What WERE they thinking!?!

Yet it's still... Pretty Amazing Technology.

Dave

I ended up buying a Pronto after all of this, sticking with the theory that I want a remote and not a PDA. I don't already own a Palm but if I did I may have tried that route first (for $40 start-up its worth a shot). Anyway, I figure a pronto will work more into my existing home theater and future home automation plans. I appreciate all of the input.

Mark
Good luck with Pronto.edit.
If this piece of software was'nt such a piece of garbage,you would eliminate half the post in the Pronto forum.
JUST THE FACTS.

Jack WEBB

Here's my take on how good or bad ProntoEdit is:

Any program that has a long list of features is going to be complicated to use. I've written a few myself, and realized that adding just ONE new feature invariably doubled the calls I got for help with the program. No matter how refined and intuitive a program's interface is there are going to be many users who just don't "get it". We humans aren't all the same, thank God.

Unlike most word processors which have THOUSANDS of features most of us never use, Pronto owners tend to want to make the most of their pronto interface, and have to use every feature of prontoedit to accomplish that. Fortunately those features are there to use. Unfortunately, it's a complicated process. Questions about how to use the program and accomplish a great CCF are inevitable.

Could it be a better program? Perhaps. I suggest that those who complain so loudly mock up their own "improved" version. If you can show Philips how your "better" prontoedit will reduce their technical help and support calls, I'm sure they'd pay you well for your work.

Dave

I'm probably about to buy a Pronto after using Omniremote on my PalmIII for about a year. I had to buy the IR transmitter because my older Palm didn't have one. The biggest problem is that the transmitter is just too weak--even though they say it's stronger than the native PalmV and Handspring units.

The next problem is that the software isn't nearly as flexible as the Pronto software. I'm not talking about the lack of fancy window dressing (which is cool, BTW), but rather about the inability to download IR codes (so no discreet codes if your remote doesn't have them) and the inability to program a button to both send an IR signal and jump to a new screen. The latter is a big pain. For instance, I have a button set up to turn on my system configured to play DirecTV. But then I have to push another button to go to the screen with the DSS buttons. Sounds minor but it isn't in practice.

If not for the weak IR I might live with the other problems, but it just isn't up there with the Pronto.