Sweet God, I Thought They'd Never List This Program - Noviremote For PalmOS
Written: May 09 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: WORKS. Easy to program, colorful display, programible buttons.
Cons: Not customizeable I suppose.
The Bottom Line: All-in-all, Noviiremote is probably one program that you need to try out for your pda. Email me and get a free copy of the full version.
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| shippo225's Full Review: NoviiRemote Software for Palm OS Version 2.1 |
A PDA, The Internet, And A Credit Card:
.....A couple years ago, I got my PALM TT Handheld for Christmas. I loved it. It was color, had a backlight, voice recording, and so much more. It was one of my most favorite gifts. But one thing about them that most people overlook is the Infrared port on the top. Most users find the IR port to be only a way of communicating to others with PDAs. However, there is a much better use for the IR port that gives it a whole new purpose in life. How does "Control all your home electronics with just your contacts organizer" sound? Do I have your attention yet? I damn right better have it. Who wouldn't want to sit around turning everything on with just the touch of your palm computer?
…..Last summer, while browsing around on www.handango.com, I found a section on TV remotes. I was intrigued at the thought of using my PALM TT Handheld for a TV remote. Instantly, I downloaded the trial version and gave it a test. The remote came with the TV code for my TV, so I was instantly able to use it. I sat at the couch, pushed a button, and on came the TV. DAMN, I thought. Within no time, I phoned up my mother in South Carolina and asked for her credit card number in exchange for the money I had previously lent her. I purchased the program and in minutes, I had it installed. My brother in-law had a Handspring Treo and wanted the program as well. So, I beamed (IR) it to him. 'Cause once someone buys the program, you can give it to anyone else you wish. And then, at school, I gave it to another person that had a Palm Zire and it worked great with it.
¿Qué Está? What Is It?
…..Noviiremote is a universal learning remote for a Palm PDA or Pocket PC. It allows you to control any device that has a remote control (IR). Though it is intended for entertainment devices, I use it also for my remote-control fan. It comes with a database of pre-installed device codes so that you can start using it right after you install it. And since it is considered a 'learning' remote, you can install remotes manually form existing remotes. It has a beautiful interface that has a logical color scheme with the buttons. And last, but most certainly not least, you can program the hard buttons on your PDA to do any button function.
System Needs:
…..Noviiremote is designed for most types of PDA's in regard to their specs. They have a black and white version for the colorless or memory-short PDA's. If you are memory-conscious, you can save the entire program on a memory card. They have a nice Hi-Res version for the 320x320 PDA's. The following is a list of memory and system requirements for Noviiremote:
~~Palm OS version 3.5, 4.x, 5.x
~~ 530 KB of free memory for color version of the program, or 390 KB for grayscale version, or 1320 KB for high resolution version
~~Additional memory for databases (codebases) used to control home devices, at 5-7 KB per codebase
~~Windows CE 3.0 or Pocket PC 2002
~~Any Pocket PC using StrongARM 1110 processor, Intel Xscale, Intel PXA250, Intel PXA255
~~2.5 MB of free memory
These are the current PDA's that Noviiremote works with (May 2004):
§ Palm Tungsten W, T, T2, T3, C, E
§ Palm Zire 21
§ Palm Zire 71
§ Palm Zire
§ Palm m515
§ Palm m505
§ Palm m500
§ Palm m130
§ Palm m125
§ Palm m105
§ Palm m100
§ Palm i705
§ Palm IIIc
§ Palm IIIxe
§ Palm Vx with Palm OS® 3.5 is installed
§ Kyocera 7135
§ Samsung i500
§ Handspring Treo models (90, 180, 270, 300, 600)
§ Handsrping Visor models with Palm OS 3.5 or higher installed
§ Sony Clie S300, N760C, SJ30, SJ33/U, SL-10, etc.
§ Sony Clie T400, T415, T425
§ Sony Clie T600C, T625C, T650C, T665C, T675C
§ Sony Clie NR60, NR70, NR70V, etc.
§ Fujitsu Siemens Loox
§ Toshiba e740
§ ViewSonic Pocket PC V35
§ iPAQ h5450
§ iPAQ h3900 series
§ iPAQ h3800 series
§ iPAQ h3700 series
§ iPAQ h3600 series
§ iPAQ h3100 series
§ iPAQ h1910/h1915
§ Dell Axim X5
§ Jornada 560 series
The Interface:
…..The interface of Noviiremote is what separates it from the other Palm remotes out there. If you have the color version, that is. There are three varieties: the black and white, the Lo-Res color, and the Hi-Res color versions. The color versions have a logical color scheme that has corresponding buttons in the same color. For example, the channels numbers and + and - buttons are all green, the volume and mute buttons are yellow, power is red, misc. buttons are pink, menu-related buttons are orange, and so on. The only difference between the Lo-Res and Hi-Res versions is the fact that the Hi-Res, 320x320, display is beautiful and sharp looking. With a Lo-Res screen, or 180x180, you get a lower quality looking remote (*I'm laughing at you now, haha*).
…..Since the screen isn't big enough to support all the buttons without being overly cramped, the remote is divided into two screens. At the button left corner of the remote is a red arrow, triangle, that toggles between the two. This keeps the screen from being cluttered.
…..Along the right side of the screen are the category buttons. At the top is the TV, then Cab/Sat, DVD/CD, VCR, AUDIO, PVR. Above the TV category is the SELECT button that brings up a menu screen for building new remote codebases and selecting 'hot' codes. At the top of the entire screen is the code currently in use. You can click on it to select the brand of device you want to control.
Hands-On Learning:
…..When you install Noviiremote, you will get some codes for certain brands in each category. But if you have a TV, for example, that has a brand not listed, you can 'teach' your remote the code from the existing remote. It is very simple and fast. Here is what you have to do to create a new codebase:
1. Go to SELECT and chose Add. A screen pops up.
2. Choose a category for your remote - TV, etc.- and a name for it. Click Start Learning. A 'blank' remote comes up.
3. Every button on the blank remote is gray, showing no function. Click a button and press the corresponding button on the 'real' remote (that came w/ device). The button wil then display a color, showing has a function. Carry through with every button you can. Some may be left blank.
4. When you are done, click Stop Learning at the top and you are ready to control that device.
Not Enough Feeling In The Screen For Ya? Well…..:
…..I have read many comments on Palm 'remotes' as a whole. One issue that many people faced was that they didn't like the fact that there was no feeling when touching the screen as there is when using a real remote. If you thought that, then Noviiremote has the answer (not that they are the only ones with the answer though). You can program the hard buttons on the PDA to any function you chose. For example, my Tungsten T has ten buttons that I can program to use, rather than the screen. I have the first button as power, second as flashback, then mute, then skip as the fourth button going across. In the center of those buttons, I have five buttons: up for channel +, down for channel -, left for volume -, and right for volume +. On the side of the unit is the voice memo button that I have programmed for power also. You can make any of these buttons for whatever function you want. You can also program the star and 'find' buttons in the graffiti area, but I was just talking about the hard buttons.
…..But some people just find more fun in touching the screen. After a while, you know where all the buttons on the screen are and don't have any problems with that. I find the hard buttons to come in handy at night, especially if you don't have a backlight, such as in the Palm Zire. My Tungsten T has a backlight, but I still like the idea of the hard buttons that have feeling to them.
…..Here is a complete list on how to program the hard buttons:
1. Hit the Info, menu, button in the graffiti area. Select hard keys from the menu. A new window comes up.
2. Press a button on the PDA that you want to give a button to. A window comes up, select the category and button from the drop boxes. Click OK and repeat for the other buttons as well.
3. When done, click OK at bottom and start using the remote.
Range
…..Oh boy… The range of the remote depends solely on the type of PDA you have. It doesn't matter if your PDA was eighty dollars or $700. The IR port is different in every model. But, Noviiremote has a more advanced IR driver than some other remote software, giving a better range with some models. For preference, my Tungsten T gets good range, from about twenty to thirty feet away from the device. This is good for even the largest rooms. The Palm Zire, though only $50, is vaery good with range, getting as good a range as with mine. However, the Handspring Treo 90 only got a few feet (once again, haha). They say that the average range is between one and fifteen meters, so much for average.
…..If you don't get so much range to suit your needs (because you have a sissy PDA) then you can get the Noviiblaster. This new coming product is a card that you put in the expansion slot and has a small infrared head on the end. This blaster comes with a CD full of about 10,000 appliance codes for anything you could possibly own. With the IR port on the card, you can get a good fifty or more feet of range from that cheapo PDA. You could be sitting in the back of an auditorium watching a presentation on a TV and play around with it (not recommended).
Why Noviiremote Over The Competitor?:
…..I'm sure that you have seen many of the universal remotes on the market. Like the iPronto by Philips. It has a nice backlit screen, many codes, hard buttons and so much more to offer. But, can you believe that it costs around $400 for one? Money don't just grow on trees, honey. Noviiremote only charges $15 for the black and white, $25 for both color versions. Of course you'd need a PDA to use it though. But think, you cold buy a Palm Zire for only $40 on the internet and get this program, $55 total. That's already cheaper by $350 and it has an organizer to boot.
…..Now if we're talking about the competitor being other Palm remote programs, then it's different. The only other remote you will find that comes close to Novii is the Omniremote by Pacific Neotek. Here are the matchups:
Omniremote:
~Button designer and rearrangement
~Completely customizable
~Scheduled Tasks for turning an appliance on at any given time
Noviiremote:
~Color, colour, los colores
~Two screens for each remote
~Less cluttered.
Conclusion:
.....GET IT!!!!!!!!!!
THE END
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
shippo225
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Location: Left @ Albuquerque
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