Logitech Harmony 880 Remote: Now on sale
I’m the proud owner of a Logitech Harmony 688 Remote Control- it has brought an unparalleled level of usability to our home theater and returned matrimonial bliss to events such as oh, watching TV, a DVD, viewing photos, or listening to music in our main living space. Dr. Phil should give away these remotes in a Father’s Day special.
But now my 688 just got schooled by the new kid on the block- the Harmony 880. A color screen, Alpha letters on the numeric keys for triple-tapping text in (such as a quick artist search in Media Center) and a rechargable battery all combine with a motion sensor that lights the remote up when you pick it up to create a near-perfect remote experience.
Why only near-perfect? I don’t see any mention of my requested “Child Lock” feature- the one where if your remote is left unattended where a child can get to it, they cannot start messing with it. My son has successfully reprogrammed two other remotes in the house just by banging on the buttons. I now have to use the volume key to change the channel.
Retailing for $249.00, this is a steep price to pay for a remote control. The Logitech site says it’s available at Best Buy but check first- it’s not on BestBuy.com and I’ve seen spotty coverage in the past. But ask yourself- how important is my marriage? How many years of future upgrades does this ensure because the vaunted, “No more gadgets, I can’t control the ones you already have” argument goes out the window? PC World gives it 4 out of 5 stars. Now if Oprah or Dr. Phil would endorse it, we’d all be set.
Does anybody know when this remote will be available. My local Best Buy says it was withdrawn from the market due to a software glitch, and had ‘heard’ it was not going to be available until August.
The only web site where I can order it is J&R Music World, and it states this would be a ‘pre-order’ only, with no ship date.
Any info you have would be appreciated.
Regards,
John
FYI, the 880 can only be programed via USB connection to a PC and an internet connection. So no worries about children re-programming it manually. Another great side effect of this is that all af your settings are kept online so in the event that it breaks( I had to return my first one because the screen developed lines) or somehow re-sets you can just conenct it via USB and re-sync your settings, about a 1 minute process. It truley is an amzing remote, controlls everything from Tivo, DirecTV Reciever, even my new sirius startmate replay!