I'm looking to purchase a universal and originally liked the look of the MX-1000 over the Pronto but after reading all the complaints am afraid to purchase. Do I take the chance on the MX-1000 since I like the design better or are the problems just not worth it? I'm new to this and don't want to waste $300 so any advice would be appreciated.

I'm in the same boat Mike. I've been looking at all the popular models for several days now. It seems to me that the MX-1000 is superior in design. The lack of tactile feedback on the HK and the Pronto I believe would be a problem. If you can't see the LCD display with the unit pointed at your equipment, it would be hard to operate. The MX-1000 seems to have the perfect combination of soft and hard keys. Anyway, I'm still a little hesitant for the same reason.
I'm looking at merchants who have a liberal return policy just in case. Good Luck Mike!

The thing with the Pronto is you don't *have* to point it at your equipment. Far from it.