Remote: what to buy

[davegravy]

From my preliminary (mouse+keyboard) tinkering with linuxmce, I love it. However, the remote is a make-or-break aspect of the system.

I understand Fiire is bankrupt, but that there are efforts to bring a replacement remote to market. Am I best to try to find a used Fiire remote, or wait for this alleged replacement? If I wait, are we talking weeks, months, years?

I really want an accelerometer-based or motion-tracking type remote, not a classic button-push-only type.

[totallymaxed]

From my preliminary (mouse+keyboard) tinkering with linuxmce, I love it. However, the remote is a make-or-break aspect of the system.

I understand Fiire is bankrupt, but that there are efforts to bring a replacement remote to market. Am I best to try to find a used Fiire remote, or wait for this alleged replacement? If I wait, are we talking weeks, months, years?

I really want an accelerometer-based or motion-tracking type remote, not a classic button-push-only type.

I'm not aware of any 'un-announced' Fiire remote replacements just round the corner. If you like the Gyration style remote's then why not buy a Gyration and make a template for it instead.

Andrew

[davegravy]

I'm not aware of any 'un-announced' Fiire remote replacements just round the corner. If you like the Gyration style remote's then why not buy a Gyration and make a template for it instead.

FYI, I got that rumor from:

http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=7619.msg48947#msg48947

[tschak909]

No, what I said was, things were in motion to provide a community store for buying LinuxMCE gear.

I really wish you guys would stop drawing conclusions from inconclusive data, and actually deal with the facts presented.

Gyration is gone. Those remotes are gone. This leaves you with:

* Get a tablet from tkmedia.
* Get a tablet from somewhere else to run ebay
* Get a PDA to run Orbiter
* Get a supported cell phone to run Orbiter
* Get a Windows MCE remote and a USB UIRT.
* Write support for a new remote control device into Orbiter, or pay me to write support for a device.

Pick one.

-Thom

[colinjones]

It can be frustrating when someone does not read a whole thread, when the answers are already pretty clear in that thread. I would take a simpler approach and post the actual message that clarifies this question. As you can see, the clarification was only 2 posts further on!

http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=7619.msg49023#msg49023

[totallymaxed]

Gyration is gone. Those remotes are gone. This leaves you with:

Hmmm...well they don't seem 'gone' to me... see http://www.gyration.com/#productOverview and there seem to be plenty of Gyrations products from retailers here in Europe.

Personally I never liked the Fiire remote one bit... it was ugly as hell in that nasty brown plastic...and in my opinion a pig to use...so I am not recommending the Gyration as i personally would not choose one...but if Gyro is your thing then its up to you...

All the best

Andrew

[tschak909]

Andrew, they are phasing out their entire product line as their new parent company focuses on the medical industry.

-Thom

[totallymaxed]

Andrew, they are phasing out their entire product line as their new parent company focuses on the medical industry.

-Thom

Well they are signing up new licensees in Asia (CEBIT demonstrated this) and their own-branded line is fully available in Europe. So there will be plenty of Gyration & 3rd party product available for the forseable future.

Again i hate the things but there are plenty who dont...

Andrew

[kyfalcon]

I've got a gyration and the gyro only works about 25% of the time. I'd save your money and just get the windows remote. You'll get used to it in a hurry!

[tschak909]

Or actually get a real orbiter and get full integration.

The Windows Remote is literally the bottom of the totem pole in terms of functionality.

-Thom

[wombiroller]

I've got a gyration and the gyro only works about 25% of the time. I'd save your money and just get the windows remote. You'll get used to it in a hurry!

FWIW I have the Gyration GYR3101US http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Using_the_Gyration_Remote_GYR3101US_(Non-Fiire_Chief) and it works 100% of the time.... I'm sure you could track one of these down if you tried hard enough.

I also much prefer to Gyro to a webpad for browsing for Movies/TV Shows. Once you get used to it - it is far faster than a webpad... Or at least it is assuming you are using WiFi which adds a not so insignificant amount of latency.

[Ray_N]

Hey davegravy... if you are US based, check this out...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880105001

They seem to still have some available... I just bought one about two months ago, so far pretty good...although sometimes LMCE just stops tracking the pointer (from the Gyration *and* from the regular USB mouse attached). Not sure what it is yet...

R

[Dale_K]

I have a Fiire remote and I freakin love it!  I just got a WebDT 366 and it's nice too but there are a few things really keeping me from using it.

No absolute positioning: With the gyro remote I can hold the media button and use absolute positioning for volume, lighting, media, etc.  The pad orbiter doesn't have this.  With the pad you cycle through 2X, 4X, 8X, etc. like you would with a normal remote.  Yes, it's fully functional, but once you get used to absolute positioning it's annoying to go without it.

No visual indication of volume control:  When I press the volume up/down on the pad there is no indication that it is going up other than the audible volume level.  I know this is a tiny thing but I really like seeing a bar indicating volume level.

The only WebDT's you can get are used so you will have to accept that they will have various imperfections, unsure battery life, scratches, etc.  The one I have is not too bad visually, but obviously used and the battery only lasts an hour or so.  I am keeping an eye on some of the new pads coming out (I hate having used stuff), hopefully there will be a good solution coming out under $1000 and I could go that way.

I think I would use the WebPad if it had absolute positioning and I could get a new battery, but for now I have both the pad and the Fiire remote sitting next to each other and I ALWAYS reach for the Fiire remote.  I've already ordered 3 of the Gyration remotes, one for the back rooms of my house and 2 for standby replacement.

Just my 2 cents.

[tschak909]

The gyration remotes will work if people will pay me to do the necessary driver work.

-Thom

[Dale_K]

The gyration remotes will work if people will pay me to do the necessary driver work.

-Thom

I was under the impression I can get a Gyration remote to work as per this wiki article:
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Using_the_Gyration_Remote_GYR3101US_%28Non-Fiire_Chief%29

Is that not the case?