After reading this forum a few weeks it seems like the Pronto is the remote to get but does anyone feel as though it is to early to purchase this? Many people tell you not to purchase a newly designed car...will there be a super improved pronto 6 months from now leaving the first users with an outdated product. I know you will tell me that it is upgradable but I am speaking on a larger scale.

I would love to get this before x-mas but I don't want to be doing this again next year.

Eric,
Do you have a 500mhz Pentium II computer?
I just spoke to our webmaster who advises that a friend of his at 3COM is testing a few of these now, so no doubt, they'll be on the street after XMas.
Sorry, just pointing out that while I believe that the Pronto will not follow the same sort of cycle that computers do, I also believe that there will be other players who come into the market with faster, greater remotes over time.
I also believe that it will be less significant in the remote area because the Pronto is software driven and therefore dynamic.
Will two way I/R (or wireless ethernet or???) remotes become available? Only time will tell. Does the Pronto do it very well for most people now....yes, from what I can gather from postings.

Hi,
Well, I can foresee a color display, RF capability, two-way control (feedback to the controller), and as Daniel suggested, a few more hard buttons. However, as is currently stands, Pronto is THE controller for me. I would not hesitate to take advantage of this outstanding product. Afterall, if we always waited for the next (improved) model, we would always be waiting. Life is already too short, why waste time (and enjoyment) waiting....

Clay W.

jack..I knew I would get the computer analogy and I definatly understand that. I am comfortable with the fact that there will be improvements in technology over time but I don't want there to be a pronto 2 six months from now. I love what I hear and I wish I new more about cost and timeframe of software. I want to purchase this soon so I have started to think up designs which is tough to do without knowing the screens. I want to program this so the wife can use this without calling me on the cell phone to walk her through it. I like the sound of the activity based screens but can you have a "home page" that has descriptions such as watch tv or listen to cd. I would like those to bring up screens that contain buttons that are used for those functions not necessarily those devices. I hope I make sense.

Just for interest's sake, there is a color remote out there. It's part of a fairly expensive system, but you can view it here. You'll have to scroll down, but it's the handheld verson that looks like the old Sega portable color game system. Very neat.

Now, all we need to do is get someone to program Solitaire & Tetris for the Pronto. :-)

Daniel,

Do I hear "Easter Egg" ;-)

Jan

Jan: Huh? You mean there's actually a game hidden in there somewhere? That'd be a clincher for a lot of people! "See, Bob, my remote can play...."

Eric,
You're on the right track for sure.
"Watch TV" button, no problem. Runs a macro then jumps to another menu. No problem.
Maybe there's a different set of menus for you too. Maybe it jumps somewhere else.
I am going to try a moving icon which moves across the screen until another key on teh screen is pushed although I think it may "lock" into an endless loop. I'll let you know what happens. Kind of like a screen saver.

Two quick questions.

1. I believe I read the the unit beeps when you press a button. Can this be disabled?

2. Can the large hard buttons be programmed to be page up and page down?

Thanks

Keith--two quick answers:

1. Yes. In the setup you can cycle through four volume levels for the beep, including off.

2. Nope. Not unless the PC software will allow it.

Keith,
Further answers to your questions:

1. Yes as Ivan states.

2. Yes, the PC software allows assignment of the "hard" button functions.

I don't own the Pronto yet, and I know this must've been answered elsewhere on these boards, but can someone please comment on the responsiveness of the touchscreen buttons and the spread/distance of the emitter?

The owners seem to be very pleased, but it's just that after reading all of the nightmarish reports of about the IRIQ, I was looking for a little reassurance that everyone's happy with the Pronto in these respects.

I don't sit very far from my equipment, and obviously, with all the talk and excitement about creating very involved macros, emitting angles don't seem to be a problem. But I'm curious, so does anyone want to comment?

Sure, I'll comment...

Right to the point - the Pronto has the most powerfull and omnidirectional IR emmitter of any remote I have used.

I mentioned before on this forum that I have all my equipment located behind closed doors and use an IR repeater to relay the control signals to the closet interior. This setup works great but the IR signals are not amplified, just faithfully re-emmitted inside the closet.

With my previous remote, I occasionally had dificulty controlling my Panasonic VCR. The VCR just would not respond unless the remote was pointed directly at the IR receiver AND on axis. This has changed with the Pronto. No more "twitchy" response fron that VCR.

On another note, I have found the Pronto works best when it is tilted up slightly. This is the normal way I hold the Pronto so I can see the touch screen easily. The IR emmitter has worked without error (no missed macro commands). I am pleased (and glad I didn't by the IRIQ).

Clay W.

Lots of topics here:

Future features - sure there may be advances made, but unless you change the equipment you control, what's the difference? None of my current equipment is bi-directional so I don't care about that, and none of it is RF.

I've found the responsiveness of my newly arrived Pronto (thanks Jack) to be just fine. I leave the confirmation beep set on low,

Directionality: It works perfectly when held upright in front of me pointing at the ceiling! I have several macros that control 3 pieces of kit, and even when pointing at the ceiling like this they always work just fine.

Wy wife hates change of any sort, particularly where it interferes with TV watching :) I left her alone with the Pronto for one evening and haven't seen the collection of old remotes since. The macros work superbly and she finds her way around just fine. The limitations are those of the devices - no seperate on/off signal, no discrete Video 1, Video 2, Video 3 signal (have to select a TV channel then step through to where I need to be).

I am looking forward to the (free to existing owners) software early in 1999, but frankly it's pretty damn near perfect already.