A method comprising: as part of a process of configuring a programmable multimedia controller capable of interfacing with and controlling audio, video, telecommunications or data communications devices, creating one or more sharable device configurations, the one or more sharable device configurations needed by a first device and one or more second devices for rendering user interfaces for interaction with the programmable multimedia controller, the one or more sharable device configuration each to include a data structure that includes: i. graphics data and images that appear in a user interface for interaction with the programmable multimedia controller; ii. graphics layout information specifying spatial relationships to be applied to the graphics data to render the user interface; iii. system commands that are valid with a particular combination of graphics data and graphics layout information; and iv. system state information for a device used to communicate with a run-time system on the programmable multimedia controller; storing the one or more sharable device configurations in a processing subsystem within the programmable multimedia controller; transferring and storing a copy of one of the one or more sharable device configurations to the first device needing one of said sharable device configurations, said first device being used by a user to interact with the programmable multimedia controller, the first device being designated as a master device with respect to the one or more second devices requiring the same device configuration that are designated as non-master devices; and obtaining, by the one or more second devices, when the one or more second devices are added to the system, a copy of the sharable device configuration from the master device, instead of from the programmable multimedia controller. as part of a process of configuring a programmable multimedia controller capable of interfacing with and controlling audio, video, telecommunications or data communications devices, creating one or more sharable device configurations, the one or more sharable device configurations needed by a first device and one or more second devices for rendering user interfaces for interaction with the programmable multimedia controller, the one or more sharable device configuration each to include a data structure that includes: i. graphics data and images that appear in a user interface for interaction with the programmable multimedia controller; ii. graphics layout information specifying spatial relationships to be applied to the graphics data to render the user interface; iii. system commands that are valid with a particular combination of graphics data and graphics layout information; and iv. system state information for a device used to communicate with a run-time system on the programmable multimedia controller; i. graphics data and images that appear in a user interface for interaction with the programmable multimedia controller; ii. graphics layout information specifying spatial relationships to be applied to the graphics data to render the user interface; iii. system commands that are valid with a particular combination of graphics data and graphics layout information; and iv. system state information for a device used to communicate with a run-time system on the programmable multimedia controller; storing the one or more sharable device configurations in a processing subsystem within the programmable multimedia controller; transferring and storing a copy of one of the one or more sharable device configurations to the first device needing one of said sharable device configurations, said first device being used by a user to interact with the programmable multimedia controller, the first device being designated as a master device with respect to the one or more second devices requiring the same device configuration that are designated as non-master devices; and obtaining, by the one or more second devices, when the one or more second devices are added to the system, a copy of the sharable device configuration from the master device, instead of from the programmable multimedia controller.