OmniRemote is still clearly a first generation product. The user interface definitely needs some work. For example, if you delete a category (say for your VCR1), all the buttons go into the Unfiled category. I deleted all the pre-defined categories and had hundreds of buttons I needed to individually delete. Also, while you can use the Palm's own hardware buttons to send signals, they're common across categories. I would have preferred them to be able to be common across categories or unique per category, at my choice.

Again, though, these are small criticisms for a product that makes it possible to use the Palm computer in an entirely new way.

Product availability and resources The following products are Product of the Year winners. Click picture for a larger image. AvantGo is available from http://www.avantgo.com. GoType is available from http://www.landware.com. UniMount is available from http://www.revolvedesign.com. Earthmate is available from http://www.delorme.com. OmniRemote is available from http://www.pacificneotek.com. Pronto is available from http://www.mmhometheater.com/components/rvpronto.html.

Claire Pieterek is a long-time Palm handheld user. On a mission to ditch her Franklin Planner, she bought her first--a Pilot 5000--in May, 1996. She currently owns a Japanese-language Sony Clie 650C, a Sony Clie 710C, and a Palm Zire 71, among others. She is most at home in Chicago and Kyoto, and is a student of life, the universe, and Japanese.