We tried very hard for a very long time to get the MX-950 to work under Vista. It worked with the Vista golden master (that's the version of the OS that Microsoft sends to developers with the assurance that this is the absolute final revision before shipping.) Anyone in software development can tell you the next part of the story: Microsoft removed ActiveSync AFTER the golden master and replaced it with the current Vista connection model. Many months of negotiation with Microsoft later, we learned from them that the hardware design of the MX-950 makes it impossible to write a compliant USB driver for that device. It's not a matter of writing new firmware— we'd have to build a whole new architecture. And if we're going to do that, we might as well move on to a newer design more in tune with the features installers are asking for today.
Although it's unfortunate that this product can't be made to work on Vista, it does work on the OS it's advertised for. We're very aware, of course, that eventually Microsoft is going to pull the rug out from under those of us who can't tolerate the hoops Vista makes us jump through for no benefit other that a prettier desktop. So yes, there are Vista-compliant versions of nearly everything in the works.
Trunk Slammer was nearly right in his comment above. He said the reason the 950 is never going to work on Vista is that the 950 is going away. The actual truth is that the reason the 950 is going away is that it's never going to work on Vista. It would be foolish to plan a long manufacturing cycle for a product that we know, straight from the horses mouth, can never be made compliant.
Best regards, Dale
I'm a member of the Remote Central community, just like you! My comments here are my own, and in no way express the opinions, policies, or plans of Universal Remote Control, Inc.
