In our current Palm world, there seems little reason to keep including an infrared port. People rarely use it for beaming and almost never use if for internet access. Yet they continue to be included in the "palm" design . However, there on one function that that makes the infrared a vital component, a universal remote control. NoviiRemote Deluxe is one such program and is available from NoviiMedia at the price of $34.99. Although that price may seem a bit high, this program is truely worth it. And if you're will to settle with less features, NoviiRemote Classic is also available for the price of $24.99. I've been using NoviiRemote ever since I had my Zire 71, and I am so glad that my new TX is full supported. In fact, NoviiRemote Deluxe supports practically every Palm out there!
Installation was a bit more complicated than it should be. They recommend you install the main application, 2 skin files, the IR database, and the profile files, however if you handheld is strapped for memory, you can just install the main application and 2 skin files to the ram and install the IR database to the PALM/Launcher folder on your exansion card. I had a TX, and had plenty of memory available, so I decided to do a full installation (which insidentally took up 2.1MB)
Setup unfortunately took longer than expected, mainly because my TV, VCR, DVD, and computer weren't in the IR database included. Luckily enough, NoviiRemote includes a very useful learning feature, essentially making this program compatible with any device with a remote control (I even got it to work with my Windows Media Center PC). During the "learning" process of adding a new device is quite simple and easy to do. You just need to put you Palm in front of your device's existing remote control. Then all that's left is to press the button you want to map on you Palm, and press the corresponding button on the remote.
Once you've added your devices, you're able to get into the serious configurations. I absolutely LOVE the amount of customization involved in this program! It might seem confusing as first, but as you get deeper into the program, you'll see it's actually much more simple than it seems. You get to add and remove buttons and move the tabs and buttons wherever you want. I particularily like that you can use symbols or text as button labels. You can even add macros, which are basically a sequence of buttons or actions to be carried out on macro execution.
The graphics style of NoviiRemote Deluxe really is an experience in itself. It has the classic Novii feel to it, with great lively colour. The buttons look great it makes the program a joy to use. I can believe how great the portait/landscape support is. In portrait on my Palm TX, the buttons are spaced enough that anyone I know can just use their figures to press the buttons, like a regular remote.
Once everything's set up and configured to your liking, it's simple matter of pressing the buttons. It takes slightly longer to transmit the signal to my TV than the standard remote, but that's something I can live with, especially considering it replaces all 4 of my existing remotes.
While the setup can take a while, the resulting virtual remote is well worth it and overall amazing. NoviiRemote Deluxe easily defeats the competition and makes the most out of the infrared port that has become a lost feature to so many in the PalmOS community.
Funtionality: 9/10
Interface: 9/10
Usability: 7/10
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