TechRadar Verdict
Pros
- +
Touch-screen controls
- +
Easy set-up and online configuration
Cons
- -
Expensive
- -
Configuration software doesn't work with Macs
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The Nevo C3 is a versatile universal remote control, equipped with a touchscreen, rechargeable battery and charging cradle, and capable of controlling up to 18 different devices.
However, the manufacturers can't quite seem to decide how they want to sell it.
Install overkill
Somewhat ambivalently, while the Nevo website emphasises the need for a professional installer to come to your home and set it up for you, they also boast that it's easy for complete beginners to use. In fact, the basic set-up procedure is extremely easy.
When you turn it on for the first time, the C3's touchscreen asks what types of device you want to control, and then displays a list of well-known manufacturers that you can choose from with a simple tap of your finger.
You can also set up 'activities' that control multiple devices, and even create a list of your favourite broadcast channels.
In order to use these features you have to install Nevo's EZ-RC software on a computer that has internet access. As per Logitech's Harmony software, EZ-RC connects to an online database that you can use to configure the device.
But, unlike the Harmony software, EZ-RC wouldn't run on my Mac, so I was forced to borrow a colleague's PC laptop in order to install and configure the remote.
To be fair, I was impressed by the way the EZ-RC software was able to identify and control my FetchTV box more quickly than any of its rivals. However, the high price and lack of Mac compatibility are weaknesses that will deter quite a few people.
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Cliff Joseph is a former Editor of MacUser magazine, and a freelance technology writer with 30 year’s experience in the industry (and old enough to remember when Apple was close to going bust…).
His first job involved using Macs for magazine sub-editing and typesetting, which led to the realisation that these computer-thingies might actually turn out to be useful after all. After a few years specialising in the Mac side of the market, he went freelance and embraced the wide world of digital technology, including Windows PCs, digital audio and hi-fi, and networking. Somewhere along the line he also developed a bit of a gaming habit and has stubbornly waved the flag for Mac gaming for far too many years.