I hear your concerns and I have been in the same boat for the past week. I have searched high and low for something that would make me feel warm and fuzzy about the purchase and I'm pretty sure that nothing will. My wife has ordered one for me for Christmas and I will find out soon enough how good it really is.

One interesting concern that I resolved today is that I have been frustrated over the input selection on my Mitsubishi TV. That can been the most confusing issue for my wife and my guests. My Misubishi TV only has a toggle button but after researching this site I have found that they list discrete codes to select which ever specific input you want without having to toggle through them. This is beautiful and I doubt that you could get this to work on any other non-computerized remote. Then again, I also have been reading comments about the new Protoedit V2.0 software shipping with the TS2000 and it seems that there is some sort of problem with cutting and pasting discrete codes. I'm sure there will be a way to do it even if it requires using V1.05 of the Protoedit software.

Also, LCD's are somewhat fragile. It is made of two thin pieces of glass sandwiched together plus the touchpanel on top. Sure, you could put a separate protective cover on the remote or make the LCD glass much thicker which would protect it from cracking but doing so will only make the contrast, viewing angle and clarity worse. There is a trade off and I would prefer clarity and to be a bit more careful than I am with other remotes. As an added benefit, I work for a company that makes the same LCD so when I get my TS2000 I plan to try a number of different combinations of STN or FSTN fluid, white LED or white or blue EL backlight and with or without a paperwhite polarizer. When I find the best combination I will post it with a picture and the cost for a replacement display. Should be under $50 which isn't bad.

At any rate, the more I read the more comfortable I become with having made the right decision. To save you time on another issue, eventually you will see the various comments on the Color Pronto coming out in mid 2001. They are expecting it run about $800. I was torn about waiting for the color model until I read the $800 price tag. Sure, in comparison to the cost of all the various home theater components it isn't too bad but too much for me/the wife right now. Prices will come down substantially in the first year or so after it's debut since color LCDs are becoming more and more popular. I am also not clear if it is Active or Passive Matrix (like the old laptop screens).

Good luck with your decision,
Doug