I read a pre-release review article introducing the Logitech universal remotes when they were just about to hit the market. I was really excited about them, the concept of universal remotes that could be configured through a USB interface to a PC, simply by selecting from a list of actual device models that would upload the correct codes for each specific device. Gone would be the days of insipid finger gymnastic programming constructs and endless lists of 4-digit codes to try again and again to find one that works -mostly- correctly with a particular device. Universal remote nirvanna had been reached!

However, when they became available in the marketplace, sticker-shock was an understatement. Starting at $150 for the most basic model, and running up to almost $800 for the full featured model, one could buy a brand new discount store universal remote (and reprogram it) once a week all year long and still end up ahead.

The Logitech remotes have come down in price a little bit, but still not enough to tempt me to buy one. A good price point would be around $50 for the basic version. Unfortunately, they may end up in discontinued clearance racks before coming down that far in price.