I have been investigating the difference between the Pronto and the Palm Pilot before I bought one. I have come to the conclusion that the Palm Pilot with the download of Remote control program by Pacific Neo-Tek that the Palm Pilot makes a fine remote control and works exactly the same as the Pronto. It's logic and the way it works is exactly the same as the Pronto. With ALL of the other possibilities of owning a Palm Pilot why should I or anyone else purchase a Pronto considering it's limitations as a Remote Control Only ? Regarding pricing. I have found the Palm Pilot available for $349 which is about the same price. This is for model IIIx which is brand new. Am I crazy or does someone else have any comments why I should purchase the Pronto ???

Yes, you can do many more things with the Palm Pilot and that is one problem. If you are using the Palm Pilot for its multiple uses and carrying it around with you No one has the remote for your entertainment system. If you are single and the only user than no problem.

The biggest problem is IR range. PDA's do not have more than a few meter range without a booster (as far as I know). A booster is ugly and you don't want to carry around your Palm Pilot with it attached.

I have not seen the software you are talking about but I can't see it having the full versatility of the pronto software (including importing images etc.) - also Palm Pilots (other than IIIx) are limited in memory. Large configurations with a lot of icons etc. take up a lot of room with the small memories of palm pilots.

Another important factor is the ability to exchange ideas, setups, and IR codes via this site and protoedit.com. It becomes a real hobby!

Finally, the setup of the hard buttons for volume, channel, mute, and assignable + the pure aesthetics were important to me. Feeling around at night, its nice to have the hard buttons. The pronto feels right and has a great layout.

Lets also not forget the number of devices that it can control. I have mine set to control my main entertainment system, as well as basement and bedroom and all lights. (The hard buttons come in handy for my bedroom TV to find tv power, lights on, etc. in the dark/under blanket.

I have a Casio WindowsCE palm device. I haven't found any remote software available for the processor it has yet. I would be interested in the software for mine only because my wife keeps stealing my pronto and I don't like having to go to the drawer and fumble through the 8 other remotes I put there. My Casio would make a nice little universal remote to replace the basic functions so I wouldn't have to pull the other remotes out...BUT IT COULD NEVER BE A PRONTO!

Overall, if you would like a new universal remote but need an excuse to spend the money then maybe the Pilot is for you. If you are not going to use the Pilot for the purpose it was intended then don't pass up the Pronto because the Pilot seems to be a better deal. If you want a remote that you will be using for YEARS to come and continue to enjoy - GET THE PRONTO. You may get sick of using the Pilot as your remote...the pronto you will not be able to live without once you have used it.

Hope this helps..rather long but it seems this questions keeps coming up!

I appreciate your reply but would like to address several comments you made.
1. IR Range: I am not having a problem with IR Range on the IIIX (new model). Anyway, if there is a problem, there is a small booster to attach to the bottom of the Palm Pilot for $20. This increases IR by 400 X - "ADVANTAGE EVEN"
2. As far as I can see, the software can do everything the Pronto can do except for importing images. - "ADVANTAGE PRONTO"
3. I think the versatility of the Palm Pilot far outweighs this one thing. - ""ADVANTAGE PALM PILOT"
3. Palm Pilot IIIX is not limited in Memory, it is double the previous versions to this is not an issue.
4. Regarding this site being a real hobby, I have found dozens of other web sites relating to operating , functionality, software downloads (both shareware and pay), and talk - - so this is not an issue
5. Hard Buttons : "PRONTO WINS"
6. Number of applications and devices it Controls: Palm Pilot is unlimited. The Palm Pilot is unlimited in the number of devices it can control and as well, there are 100's of other software applications which can be downloaded from the internet at several different interenet sites. - "ADVANTAGE PALM PILOT"
7. I am not sure of your Casio WindowsCE as I was also unable to find software for Casio. The only one as far as I know is Palm Pilot and the software is located at www.pacificneotek.com

Just thought I would address the issues you brought up since it looked like you are very happy with your Pronto .I just wanted everyone else to please look at the Palm Pilot before making a final decision. I feel there is a lot more to offer with the Palm Pilot in versatility and it acts as a remote with unlimited capabilities just as the Pronto.

In response to the discussion:
1. I have not seen the booster or priced them. How exactly does this booster attach. For my casio I wouldn't want a permanent fixture on it, even if it was fairly small. How small exactly is it, how is it powered etc. The Pronto has an amazing IR range and I would be curious if anyone has actually used one of these boosters and how good a range they actually got.
2. As I stated before, if you have the intention of using the Pilot as a PIM or for another reason it definately has versatility. However, I wouldn't purchase the Pilot just to use as a remote with the intention of maybe using it for something else.
3. As I stated in my original post, memory is a problem for Palm devices (except the IIIX). The IIIx has more memory and it is expandable. For Palm V it could be a problem.
4. Limiting the discussion to remotes, this site offer a wealth of information and downloads for your remote (w/IR codes). Yes the pilot has many discussions about many other things...but can you find a discussion group trading info and IR codes for the Pilot.
5. Hard Buttons are important
6. Of coarse the Pilot has more controls. But for the sake of discussion I looked at the pacificneotek site. When it comes to the remote control software this program is not as flexible. It has a 15 screen maximum. This is not unlimited devices. If I wanted to get all of my devices on this palm remote software (and my system is pretty simple) I would have to make the buttons so small that I would have to use the pen. One nice thing about the Pilot software is that it has timer abilities. This is an option that the Pronto owners have been asking for and hoping to get in the next software release. I also noted that the software allows you to assign the palm's hard keys. Overall, I was impressed.
7. There is a program for WindowsCE available but it does not currently work with Casio's MIPS processor.

Overall, I was impressed with the preview information about the software package for the Palm. However, I still believe a person needs to decide what they actually want. If you are shopping for a universal remote I think getting the palm because it seems more versatile is a mistake. However, if you are shopping for or already have a PIM and have the need for a universal remote this looks like a good option. But a much cheaper universal remote would probably make you just as happy as the PIM solution.

Pronto: Advantage as remote

Palm: Advantage as a PIM with remote capability

Once again - if you have someone else in your home and go with the Palm solution and use it as a PIM you are going to have to leave out all of those old remotes for if your at work or using it. I think this takes away from the advantage of the Palm as a PIM. As I stated before, I would like to setup my Casio as a universal remote just so I have a remote when my wife steals my pronto (since she can't turn on the TV without it anymore).

I also love my Casio E15 PIM - and it serves its purpose (not being a primary remote).

One thing I think the Palm Pilot cannot do, is its power of transmission. You can put a magazine (or a sofa) in front of the Pronto and it'll still transmit the signals to be received by the equipment. I don't know if the Palm Pilot can do it....maybe the booster can do it...but I've seen the booster somewhere on the Net...it's ugly!

Another thread here had this argument before...but
go ahead...if it'll make you happy, get a Palm Pilot.

I have both a Palm III and a Pronto. The Palm III was the first purchase, primarily to be used for work, however I am never one to just let things be. Naturally, I gathered more and more software for the Palm including the software that Pacific Neo-Tek makes (which works perfectly fine btw) and I wouldn't give mine up (well, except for a newer model maybe). Granted the Palm is extremely versatile and that is what makes it a great PDA. However, at it's heart it will always be a PDA. I think the point that Chris L. was trying to make concerning the exchange of ideas and the "community" that has developed around the Pronto, is that it facilitates the exchange of software and ideas directly pertaining to the remote's capabilities. Granted, there are tons of sites out there with software for the Palm, but no growing community dedicated to it's growth as a remote. You would be relying strictly on Pacific Neo-Tek and their development team for enhancements and add-ons. Not unlike the situation we the Pronto community have by relying on Philips, but we can rely on each other as well for help and info. I agree with Chris that the Palm does its PDA job great as well as having the benefit of being able to do other things, but the Pronto wins hands down in the remote department. This coming from someone who has both.

As has been stated before, the Pilot software is an economical universal remote for people who already own the unit.

However for a dedicated remote the Pronto wins over the Pilot hands down. There's no getting around it. The Pilot was designed as a versatile PIM. The Pronto was designed as a kick-butt remote control. Case closed. :-)

On a broader note, I think that at least for a while, every appliance is going to have it's own pda-like interface, and it will be sometime before we actually have "Universal PDA's" that work as well as those on star trek.

I don't understand why Steven would try so hard to get us to agree with him... "please take a look at the Palm Pilot before making a final decision".

It doesn't really matter to me what people are using in their living rooms. But when it came to turning on components, switching video sources, changing the channel, and turning up the volume, the Palm III (yes I own one) was a kluge. The Pronto is by far a better solution to the problem. It doesn't help to be able to keep your golf handicap or play solitaire on your remote control. That isn't what it was made for.

If for some reason you can justify a Palm Pilot but not a Pronto. Don't try to convince others it is just as good. Someone might just believe you.