Well, no remote is perfect, but I absolutely LOVE the MX-700. I've had the Sony 3000, and the Harmony 659, and am much more satisfied with this one. One of the many things I like about it is it's strong signal and wide dispersion. Unless there is an object directly in the path of the signal, I can just about aim this puppy anywhere, and get results. I can hold it comfortably, almost pointing directly at the ceiling, and have no problems whatsoever. Build quality is excellent.
Depending on how you program it, operating it can be simple or very complicated. Learning to program it takes a little study, but once you get it, it gets fairly easy. I just had to redo all my macros due to a firmware upgrade to my HDTV. Though it took a little time, it was pretty easy. If you want, you can download the MX Editor Software, an MX tutorial, and the MX Editor Programming Manual
here, and fool around with it to see what you think.
To make things easier for you spouse, you can pick up the
MX-200 Sidekick, which is designed to work with the MX-700, for as little as
$50. You can program the MX-700 to do what you want it to do, and program the MX-200 for your wife. You can find the Sidekick Manual on the same page as the MX-700 Manual.
Two negatives. If you have the remote on a flat surface, like a coffee table, and want to push any of the buttons closest to the edges, you must steady the remote or it just tips when you push the button. Also, the button and screen back lighting is great if you're in a completely, or nearly, dark room. But, if there's a fair amount of light in the room, it's aggravatingly inadequate.