I have the opportunity to pick up the 850 at a good price(less than $200 from authorized dealer). I currently have the 700 and was wondering if I can port my existing config to the 850 without issues. Is it as simple as reading / saving the current config from the 700 and loading it on the 850? Please let me know as the offer expires on Sunday and if this is possible I may upgrade.

do you need RF? The only real difference in the rf ability and the center button.

Not really but it would be nice. Main reason I'm think of upgrading is my MX700 is a little beat up. Also the screen accidentally got scratched up some time ago. It's still fully functional; just thought the price on the 850 was good and thought I should grab it.

If you were offered a choice between buying the MX-700 or MX-850 for a negligable amount more, I'm sure most everyone would say the MX-850. RF, better menu cursor controls, better backlighting.

And your MX-700 file will continue to work perfectly on the MX-850.

For basically the same price, you can go for the MX-900. I think it's a buch better remote as far as overal ergonomics go. Suposedly, URC is also going to expand it's capabilities through software updates, so it may be the better choice.

if the 700 is functioning, why upgrade. there is almost no difference between the 2.

if your going to buy a new remote because you can, id go for something different like a 900 or 950

just my 2 cents

I've owned a 700 and an 850. the 850 backlight and select button makes it worth the price.

I currently own a couple 900's and a 950(along with a couple RTI remotes, but, that's off-topic)

The 900(and 950) will allow macro's on any page of any device, not just the main page. Perfect for more complex set-ups.

I do like the 'simple' layout of the 850. It seems to be less 'clustered' than the 900.
The 900 has more power as well as the 'narrow band' RF(with the MRF-350).

It's your call!

In my opinion, it doesn't matter how the layout is on the 850, picking it up compared to a 900 is like picking up a brick. That remote was not made for a human hand. It also has more features for the same price. Now given that he wants to upgrade due to the lack of RF functionality of the 700, and that the 900 is basically the same price as the 850, I think it's a no-brainer.

I've had the 700 and upgraded to the 850 for the same basic reasons...primarily the "select" button...and the better backlight. Transferring the file was no problem.