The Harmony 880 is the first of Logitech’s remotes to be 100 % created by Logitech’s designers. It’s safe to say Logitech knew what they were doing when they manufactured the 880. First off the 880 was designed with a color screen and was the first Harmony model to be made with one.

The LCD screen has a 128x160-pixel display. The resolution isn’t great, but it’s still better than some of the monochrome screens from earlier Harmony models. The icons on the screen can be difficult to read also, but for the most part the screen works fine.

Logitech made certain that people who prefer a sturdier remote would be satisfied with the way the 880 feels. It has hard plastic buttons instead of the soft, rubbery buttons that seem almost standard on remotes. The 880 is 8.1 inches long by 2.3 inches wide by 1.3 inches deep. So it’s definitely not a little remote made from paper thin plastic material.

You can purchase the Harmony 880 for around $130 (although some places still have the price at $170 and higher). When this remote was first released the purchase price was near $250. Of course this was back in 2005, but its technology is still just as good as it was in 2005. The screen resolution isn’t as sharp as the LCD screens of current Harmony models, but as far as controlling your components - the 880 will do a terrific job.

I guess my only gripe about the 880 is its responsiveness. For example, some times when navigating through the television menu, there’s a small amount of lag that occurs randomly. This could become irritating over time if you’re the easily irritated type. But aside from the slow responsiveness that can happen from time to time, this remote definitely has the goods to satisfy. It’s easy to program via the PC or Mac through a web interface. The only negative to note about the web interface is prior to programming you’ll need to disable any security software.

The Harmony 880 may not be a high-end remote, but it sure has some of the high-end elements such as the docking station (to recharge its battery), the motion sensor (that turns the remote on when picked up) and the color LCD display. And due to the fact that you can find one for around $130 makes the 880 a very good buy.