I have been using this remote for over three years and am in the market for a replacement (it has taken a beating in that time and is only now starting to show its age). The remote has been a pleasant surprise because, unlike so many Microsoft products, it lacks annoying flaws. The remote is somewhat small compared to typical A/V remotes, but it has a nice heft, and the curved shape is more comfortable than the square brick offered by other manufacturers. Batteries last a long time and the back-lit buttons are easy to find. Most important, however, is that the layout of the buttons is logical and natural -- the most frequently used buttons fall right below the sweep of the thumb when the remote is nestled in the palm. (It was only after using a Linksys remote, designed for its current media center extender, that I appreciated how well-designed this remote is; the Linksys remote is a disaster, placing all of the most important buttons at the bottom so that the remote has to be uncomfortably gripped by the end in order to operate the device.) If only Microsoft could get the designer of this remote to weigh in on its other products. Microsoft Remote Control and Receiver for Media Center PC with Windows (A9O-00007)
If you own an MCE2005 PC, you can't live without this remote. Don't listen to the other n00b who doesn't get it :P.
I've been using this remote for months without a single problem and the button layout is fine. I use it by touch all day long.
I bought this remote to replace the one that came with my Asus P20, which was not programmable and interfaced with a poor quality IR receiver in the computer. This Microsoft remote is a better design/layout and has a great IR receiver.
In the box: remote, 2 AA batteries, manual, IR receiver (with a VERY LONG cord), and 2 IR emitters (you only need one per set-top box you want to interface with).
The button layout is thoughtful, with the high-use buttons under your thumb as you hold the remote naturally. I would have preferred a slightly larger pause button, but this is certainly no deal breaker.
In addition to the normal PC Power button (puts the Media Center PC to sleep), there is also a separate TV Power button that you can program to emit the same signal as your normal TV remote's on/off button -- this is fantastic, as now I can both turn the TV on/off and bring my Home Theater PC (HTPC) in and out of sleep mode with the same remote. Simple thing, but makes a big difference.
The remote is fairly light but feels sturdy/solid; I'm certainly not concerned about it cracking if I drop it. The weight balance is also good; it rests in your hand well (isn't top heavy).
It worked instantly with my Windows Vista Home Premium machine. All I had to do was plug in the USB cable of the IR receiver, and the remote was ready for use.
Note that if your PC already has a built-in IR receiver, you will need to disable it to prevent this IR receiver and that one from both registering your button clicks. (This is a general note and not specific to this product.)
For European customers -- note that this remote does not have a teletext button or the four colored buttons (red, blue, green, yellow) that some other media center remotes have. Doesn't apply to US customers, where we don't use those buttons.
Backlit buttons are great.
I would purchase this remote again. It's a high quality remote that does the job.
I use this remote control throughout my house with my current Mythbuntu setup. Well, I did add a Linux sticker to it. :)
The only way it would be better is if MythTV had setup all of the buttons correctly. But, I'm pretty sure that the software will allow the programming of buttons. And the buttons that do work are all of the commands that I need.
The remote came one day sooner than expected. I used it on a home built Win7 computer with a Comcast DTA cable box. Setup was easy, just plugged in the usb Win 7 recognized it and loaded drivers. Setup the cable box through Media Center and the remote controls everything. I'm very happy with it.
Great remote, great seller. Package came on time. There is nothing wrong with the product, but it did not come in the original package box. It looked new in it's plastic packagings, but it still gave me some doubts. Other than that, everything was good.
We purchased a different remote control and receiver earlier, and while that did what it said on the box, the one thing it didn't do was act as an infrared blaster (IR blaster) for controlling other devices under the Media Center's guidance.
Absolutely have to have one of those, and it didn't come with the "All-in-Wonder" TV / video card we bought. - Media Center Remote - Remote Control - Microsoft - Media Center'
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