I find it interesting that as someone who writes for a technical publication you approached using the streaming device as an older first time user. First, there are remapping apps that can reprogram the remote buttons. Possibly more than you wanted to do, but this is commonly known, even for us less technical savvy people. Also, the interface is customizable and learns your viewing habits with time and also will ask you what type of programming you like to watch. Actually I have found the complete opposite from your experience. When I turn my TV on, my programming I tend to watch is immediately displayed and I just scroll to the program and immediately starts playing. This is completely the opposite of any other streaming device I have ever used. Usually it requires me to scroll to the app, open the app, then scroll through the channels to find the program I want to watch. While the article represents your opinion and experience, for someone who uses the device it's apparent that you had a preconceived opinion of the device or you flat out did not spend much time using the device.
I may sound pro CCWGTV. I'm actually not. There are better streaming devices and there are far more devices that are worse. I find for the money, it's definitely one of the better devices. I find it surprising that a tech publication would write an article that clearly demonstrates a lack of interest in writing a thorough review. I have found this true in a few other reviews with this site. What you write has an influence on what people purchase. Please spend some time using items you review outside of a couple of days or week. If you can't do that simple task, then don't write reviews.