Roku vs. AppleTV - why this Apple lover actually prefers Roku

In my most recent post, I shared why I love being cable free. I also mentioned that we purchased both AppleTV and a Roku box.  When we were first setting everything up, I connected the Roku box first, and got distracted with Johanna, and before I knew it, a couple months had passed with us using the Roku box exclusively.
A couple months ago, while watching Netflix during a storm (another benefit of cable free..no weather related outages) we had a power surge to our Roku box.  We didn't have a surge protector, and the box hasn't worked since.  So I broke open the AppleTV and have now been using that for a couple months.
With a few months of using both streaming tools under my belt, I have to admit, even as an "Apple person", that the Roku box is a superior product for me.  Here's why:

• The remote
• The Apple TV remote is small.  While teeny, sleek remote may seem cool to some, a remote control is not like a cell phone or iPod where smaller is usually better.  In my house, Johanna can turn a room from clean to disaster zone in 3.5 seconds.  We are constantly searching for lost remote controls, and the Apple TV's remove is sooooo small, we're wasting more time than ever with our faces on the carpet reaching under couches or digging into cushions trying to find the lost remote.
• Roku's remote has an original Nintendo style arrow menu, which is easy to definitively navigate.  Apple TV's remote uses Apple's signature dial menu, which requires a bit more refined motor skills.  Johanna has trouble with the remote and even adults who are distracted or fat fingered will as well.
• Amazon Instant Video
• Amazon Instant Video is not available on Apple TV.  Since Amazon Instant Video is Apple's competitor for rental and download sales, Apple doesn't put an Amazon Instant Video app in the menu.  But what about Amazon Prime members (like myself of course) who enjoy unlimited streaming from Amazon Instant Video?  Apple throws us a bone by allowing us to project Amazon Instant Video from our phone or tablet to the TV.  But what about us multi-taskers who NEED to use their phone or tablet WHILE watching TV?  SOL.
• App Selection
• The above brings me to my next reason why Roku is superior.  You can customize the menu.  You are not at the mercy of Apple to tell you your selection.  You can pick and choose what you want to use and see displayed. 
• Roku isn't worried about protecting the other assets in it's empire, they just focus on creating a good streaming product.  As other streaming services enter the market, which they inevitably will unless cable/satellite make some sort of huge power play in the near future,  Roku will happily provide them to their customers without concern over the competition.
• Viewing
• With Roku, it was always easy for us to know where we were at. After an episode finished, Roku defaults to the next episode in the series.  With Apple, it stays on the episode you just watched, which (and maybe this is because we started with Roku first) always messes with us.  With the Apple TV, we seem to find ourselves wasting more time reading episode summaries to see "where we are at". 
• I also prefer the linear , horizontal layout of Roku when viewing episodes in a series vs. Apple TV's vertical listing.  I know that's a very personal preference, but it's just more appealing to me visually.  

So there you have it.  With a broken Roku box, and a working AppleTV,  am I going to run out and pay $100 for another Roku box when we have a working AppleTV to do the job?  Probably not.  But if I were making the decision again (and my definite recommendation to others) is resoundingly Roku.