I am new to programmable remotes, but have gotten tired of the six remotes for my system and trying to teach guests at the house how to do things as simple as watch a tv show. So I have been looking at the pronto as a good solution since I can customize it and make it easy for everyone to use.

I am a software developer by trade, so the setup and software problems some talked about don't worry me much, but in looking through these threads, it seems that the one thing that hasn't been talked about alot is durability. My concern comes from the fact that I have a three year old daughter in the house. She is very good with that type of stuff, but accidents do happen. So I am wondering for those that have this remote, can this thing handle the occasional drop from the couch, or drop onto the coffe table, and what about the possibility of the dreaded juice spill?

To go one step further, if it could handle the above decently, would I be totally insane to think of programming in a kids remote (think weemote with the ability to handle my reciever, vcr, dvd player) into a pronto and let her use it? My wife thinks I am crazy for even thinking about buying a remote that expensive much less letting the kid near it(I probably am for that last one), but my daughter is very good with the system and can turn everything on with the system power buttons so that she can watch tv, but she can't figure out the sat remote to get to her cartoons.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I appreciate any input and want to thank everyone here for all the valuable info I have already gotten by reading the other posts.

kmax

I can't speak to the 3000 as it is too new but for the 1000 I say yes it is pretty durable.

I have a remote exactly as you describe. Whe I bought the 3000 I reprogrammed the 1000 as a remote for my daughter (3yrs)

2 screens
First screen touch anywhere turns on the tv
Second Screen has 3 big buttons PBS, PBS2, PBS Kids
No volume, channels + - Nothing!

That is it. Doesn't even have an off function as the only time she watches TV on her own is when she gets up before us in the AM.

She knows what buttons to push on the equipment to turn things on and off so I just showed her what to do if she can hear tv but not see it, see but not hear etc.

She has never had to push the buttons as it did not take her long to get used to pointing the remote at the TV when she touches the screen. Plus the 1000 has such great IR it doesn't have to be percise.

Don

Like Don, can't talk about the 3000 too new. In my personal experience and from what I have read on this forum over the years it is fairly reliable. I think the biggest problem is if the glass screen hits something during a fall. As for liquids, I think it has always or almost always survived.

I had 5 remotes and bought a 3000 to get ‘em off the end table. My 4 year old daughter got to where she could do just about everything with the 5 remotes (TV, Receiver, DVD, VCR, SAT). I have made her her own page on the 3000 and now she can do it all with the 3000.

We started from day one … nothing (liquid) gets placed on the end table. Loosing the 5 remotes would have been as detrimental as loosing one 3000 IMHO. The 3000 sets on the end table … aimed at the devices and all she has to do is push the buttons … no need to pick it up. The hardest part is getting her to stand off to the side so she doesn’t block the IR signal.

As for durability … since she doesn’t pick it up I don’t think there is a problem. My only problem is the same problem I had with the other 5 remotes … sticky fingers. But the 3000 screen cleans up very nicely as long as her fingers are only sticky and not gooey (gooey hasn’t happened yet) … knock on wood.

I don't know or actually care how durable my 3000 is, for $250 I treat it better than an old woman with osteoperosis.