Harmony 550 delivers and then some

When I read reviews for products, especially electronics, I am always interested in the lowest ratings or the cons, to really evaluate the response and the reviewer. For the Harmony 550, there really are not any valid "cons" that I have read. For example, is it really a con to use a PC/MAC to setup a device such as a Universal remote. There are literally thousands and thousands of brands and models that the 550 is capable of handling. If these were to be stored in the device itself, it would first be painstakingly slow to access, and secondly, most likely add size and weight. Most "pros" will comment on the elegance and ergonomics of the device. Using the PC allows all of this data to be stored on the CD_ROM disc, so they can keep the device simple. I have been in technology and software application development for over 15 years, and I really do not find this software cumbersome at all. It simply asks you for next steps, and chooses to divide different devices into 'Activities' so that each can be handled and programmed on their own. If anyone owns an iPod and is comfortable with the 'sync' process of iTunes, then there should be no problem with this. iTunes breaks down your library into such categories (activities) such as: Music, Photos, Applications, TV, Podcasts, etc. Within each category you are able to change some of the sync functions, albeit minimally.

After purchasing my Harmony 550, I installed the software and 'synced' three separate devices (TV, PVR, Home theatre) into about 10-15 mins. Infact, the hardest part was getting down on the floor to write down the model numbers of the devices!