I'll chime in as another VERY satisfied Pronto user. I have the TSU 3000 as I've also heard of Pronto Neo problems.

As was mentioned, there is a learning curve. But, if you are a dedicated tinkerer (which I am), you can do just about anything with the Pronto.

RemoteCentral is an excellent source for information and support. There is very little in the way of instructions that come with the Pronto. It's great to download someone else's icons and 'borrow' their format and navigation ideas. RemoteCentral also has a good database for discrete codes for your gear.

Believe it or not, I have made this remote 100% (ok 99%), wife-proof! If she gets stuck or confused, all she has to do is return to the home page and 'start over'. Works every time!

As for the lack of hard buttons, it is something to get used to, but if you are consistent with how and where you place buttons on the touchscreen, you can learn to 'feel' where buttons are without looking.

Good luck deciding on your remote purchase. I think it's obvious that folks have strong feelings about their favorite remotes. If only you could audition them in your home for 30 days like an Outlaw product....

readster, yes, there is an IR thing that I got for the fan...

I had been using an MX-500 for a while, then got an RM-AV300. I thought that it would be a cool remote and it was very versatile. I tried to like the Sony, but I just didn't. It seemed cumbersome, and I had to look at the remote to make most changes. With my MX-500 I can control everything without having to look at the remote. It is just so much more convenient to use. I've come to the realization that I much prefer hard buttons to a touch screen.

Jeff

I bought a Pront 7000 and broke it in 1 week.. Ouch! A little to much pressure on the screen. You guessed it...I cracked it! Called Philips and told them I exerted too much finger pressure and caused the problem,,,said the cost to repair was $260..But, since I just bought , they would repair it free of charge! Now thats the kind of service that wins me over...I will not hesitate to buy a Philips product...

After using the Pronto for the last two/three years I finally switched to an MX-700 this past week. I'm still tweaking the macros but I don't think I could ever go back to the Pronto LCD screen now. LCD buttons offer a lot of neat programming options but it gets old having to stare at the buttons and not having the tactile feedback of hard buttons, especially sitting in a dark HT.