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Philips iPronto Does It with Linux

Posted by michael on from the lost-it-under-the-sofa-cushions dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Philips iPronto may well be a gadget-lover's dream come true. Ever glance around the family room in bewilderment at the number and diversity of remote controls required to make your entertainment systems go? If so, you might think you know why Philips created this brainy new remote. But getting rid of all those little button-studded black plastic battery-eaters isn't all this Linux-powered marvel aims to do." And all for the low low price of $1700.

7 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. sheesh by _RiZ_ · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I went shopping for remote controls and checked all the models out at the local Home Theater store. Let me tell you, a remote should be easy to use and functional. This is not it. Anything more than a Hometheatre Master MX-500 is a waste.

  2. Cool but... by Anonymous+MadCoe · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How practical will it be...

    Philips has a long history of making stuff that's cool but just won't well because it's not what people want.

  3. For $1,700, all I've got to say is... by delirium28 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    I'd better be able to recompile the kernel.

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  4. mislabelled by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The iPronto isn't a remote control. The iPronto is a network terminal that happens to have consumer IR stuff built into it, allowing it to have remote control capability.

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  5. Did anyone else notice... by SamTheButcher · · Score: 3, Insightful
    ...that it's a big "rah-rah" ad disguised as an article that's short on details but is "cool" because it runs Linux? I mean, that's great, but front-page worthy? Or...even newsworthy?

    What can't this device do? Not much, we suspect, given its embedded Linux operating system, graphical touchscreen interface, and sophisticated communications capabilities.

    Come on, that's marketing, not reporting.

  6. Laptop remote by jjjefff · · Score: 2, Insightful
    It seems like these people often forget two things that are key to a good remote:

    1. It should be comfortable to hold in one hand
    2. It should have buttons you can feel
    Do you really want to sit there with a laptop screen in your lap, and look down every minute or so to see where that channel up "button" is again?
  7. Not a "touch", but a "hunt and peck" screen by sjonke · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Touchscreens and remote controls do not mix. A remote that requires you to look at it to use it, as a touchscreen does, is annoying/inconvenient. It's bad enough to spend $20 on a product that proves annoying... I can't even imagine spending $1700 only to be annoyed. I have tried a couple remote control programs for PalmOS and while I find it useful for controlling my TV for which the remote has gone kabloey, I would much rather have a decent learning remote with real buttons. Indeed I'd rather just have my old TV remote working again and deal with 4-5 separate remotes.

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