Rated 
Great remote, but setup could be so much better
Ease of use once set up, Logitech phone support
Programming is a hassle -- software is terrible. Expensive compared to similar models.
Posted May 30, 2006 - For me, the killer feature of the Harmony 890 (like other Harmony remotes) is the activity-based menus. It makes the remote easy to use for people who don't know your particular set-up by letting them select from Activities such as "Watch a DVD" or "Watch TiVo." Initiating the Activity turns on all the relevant devices and puts them all in the right mode. While in the context of an activity, the Harmony has eight programmable "soft" buttons that you can program to be the most useful buttons for that mode (e.g., in "Watch TiVo," they include commonly-used special buttons like "TiVo," "Now Playing," and "30-second skip," as well as the screen-size adjustment from the projector). I selected the Harmony 890 (over the cheaper 880) for its built-in RF-to-IR repeater capability. I use my Harmony 890 remote to control four devices in my home theater setup. My home theater components are in a stack on the side of the room, and I have a ceiling-mounted front projector. All this means that there are no devices at the front of the room where you naturally point the remote. With the RF-to-IR repeater, this doesn't matter, the Harmony can be pointed anywhere (or even in another room), and the RF repeater relays the commands to the devices... it just works. In the future, I'm hoping to get some Z-Wave radio-controlled dimmers for the overhead lights. The Harmony also has good in-context help. When starting an Activity or turning off the system, if something doesn't go right, you can just hit "help" on the menu, and it'll walk through common problems (e.g., "Is the Receiver on?"), and it addresses the problems that would normally involve a summons from the other room ("Something's wrong with the TV again, can you come in here and fix it?"). Battery life is great -- it'll last a couple days off the cradle/charger. Remote ergonomics are so-so. Button layout could definitely be better, and all the buttons are the same size, making them hard to find by feel. On the plus side, the motion-triggered backlight works great. I just pick up the remote and it lights up. The one place where it isn't as good as a native remote is in heavily menu-based devices (like my TiVo), where a mismatch in the length of a signal (or between signals) can make a big difference. As a result, I still reach for my TiVo remote rather than the Harmony if I'm doing more than just a couple simple button presses. The biggest problem was the difficulty in getting the devices set up. This took me multiple multi-hour sessions, and I'm very comfortable with computer & A/V technology. The provided software is terrible -- it's unstable, clumsy, the screens are confusingly designed, and the various options to fine-tune a device's operation were often buried in strange places. I've heard the web-based interface is better, but I didn't get this advice until I was pretty much done. The addition of the RF repeater made the programming less convenient -- I had to unplug the repeater from inside my A/V stack every time. One recommendation is to make use of the phone support when you're stuck. Yes, I mean you -- the one who never calls tech support. Call them. They have special settings available to them that you don't have, and they know how to make the Harmony work really well. I guess primarily I'm disappointed that the Harmony didn't live up to my expectations... I'd heard they were easy to use and easy to set up. But if you're willing to struggle through the setup, as I was, you can get to a really nice place where a pile of remotes and special magic modes and buttons can be replaced with something that makes sense.
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Poor Support and Lockups
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