The GemStone buttons are great, but the Skip + and - are something that a remote just HAS to have.

When they were designing the MX-700, I saw the layout and sent in one that included the Skip buttons, but URC was adamant that they weren't necessary.

Well, as you can see, all of the new and/or higher end button remotes from URC have the Skip buttons now. I think they would have sold even more of the MX-700, 800, 850 if they had gone with the Skip button layout I had sent in. There was very little difference in overall look, but those buttons were right where you wanted them!