Info / opinions re: Outlaw 1050 HT receiver

Hi, all:

It's my turn to seek some advice. My ex-wife and her husband assembled an inexpensive HT system about a year ago, and against my advice they bought a really cheap Pioneer HT receiver. They have grown to hate the unit, and I concur that it is the MOST frustrating and user-hostile piece of consumer electronics I have ever worked with (yes, I'm the one who gets the "help me" call every time the damn thing acts up). Before the Pioneer poc gets recycled as a boat anchor, I said I'd do some investigation for them and provide a few recommendations.

I was thinking of recommending the Outlaw 1050 receiver to them, since their budget is $500-600 and the Outlaw seems to offer a lot of performance for the price. I have a few questions to pose to the owners of the Outlaw 1050:
1. Is it easy to use? This element is of paramount importance. My ex-wife's husband gets terribly frustrated if he can't simply push one or two buttons to access the functions he wants. I will do the initial setup and calibration.
2. Does the unit perform reasonably well? Bear in mind that my ex and her husband don't expect a lot (plus, he has a pronounced hearing deficiency). The HT receiver they buy will be used for both music and playing movies. Their system consists of a Pioneer DVD/CD player, Polk RT100i powered main speakers, a Polk center channel speakers, Polk rear surround speakers, and a 36" Sony WEGA XBR monitor.
3. Any concerns about reliability and/or repair history?

I'd appreciate any info that our readers can provide, but you don't need to limit yourself to my two primary questions. Any and all info will be helpful in their purchase of a new receiver.

Thanks in advice for your comments.

Scott C-