Is the recharge system worth the extra money? Rechargebles normally last about half as long as alkalines and then need to be recharged, right? If you buy alkalines, how many years would it take to make up the difference of the cost of the rechargeable unit? Do the rechargeables ever go dead while using it and instead of replacing like alkalines you have to wait to recharge?

This has been discussed a LOT -- I suggest searching the forum, maybe for charger worth.

Don't worry about pricing it, just get yourself a charger! It gives it somewhere cool to live if nothing else.

It depends on the backlighting timeout value you use in the Setup panels. If you set your timeout at a high value like 30 to 60 seconds, the charger is a neccessity.

If you set the timeout for two or three seconds, you will probably find yourself changing batteries every six months.

Most users like long timeouts, it allows their brain a chance to decide which button to press. I personally find that I am far to stupid and slow for a timeout of less than 60 seconds. Thus, rechargeable batteries are a neccessary evil for me.

I agree with Simon too. The recharging cradle is attractive and makes the remote look good. Since the batteries are "memory-free" you can simply leave the remote on the charger whenever you are not using it.