I couldn't agree more - these delays for a much anticipated remote have turned a lot of people off.

Well- I hesitate to say this but, if you are looking for a competent replacement at one-third the cost of the MX-1000, you might want to look at the One-For-All URC 8080, otherwise know as the A/V Producer® 8 Home Theater remote with LED screen and 'Timed Recording' macro. I bought one out of sheer frustration and couldn't be happier for my needs.

The backlight is excellent, the keys are varied shapes to diffentiate between button functions, there is a programable HomeTheater mode which allows you to turn on all componenents, set modes, channels, volume, etc. with one key press, and has not only an extensive library of codes for brands/components, but also a learning feature to program buttons/functions otherwise not covered. Although six buttons per component(48 in total)is a bit "light", this still comes in handy.
There is a lot more to go into, but I don't want to go on and on. If anyone has questions, I've had it for two months (hmmm - March, April, May...sound familiar) and would be glad to expand on my experience with it if you respond to me.