blakrj, while I don't own an MX-3000, I have asked the same question myself on Remote Central (and elsewhere) to conclude that the 9600 was more interesting. Apparently the MX-3000 is a pretty good remote and I may have bought it if it had been cheaper than the 9600.

However, it appears that both are around the same price. Given my simple single room requirement, the potential difficulty of getting support for the MX-3000, the resolution and brightness of the 9600 screen as well as a bit better ergonomics won me over.