My new Apple TV Remote arrived this morning, and I spent half an hour futzing with it. Here are some initial thoughts.

Yes. This remote is better than the prior one in every conceivable way. I don’t hate the old one as much as John Gruber does, but picking it up in the dark sometimes felt more like defusing a bomb than pausing my movie.
Pairing the new one is easy. Long press the power button and hold it near your existing Apple TV. That’s all.
Speaking of the power button, this is an obvious addition. I had to train my family how to turn off the TV with the old remote. Now they just press power.
The same goes for the mute button.
There still is a trackpad on the remote, but it is fenced in with the throwback iPod scroll wheel should eliminate accidental presses.
The scroll wheel actually scrubs your movie. This is so much better (and more accurate) than swiping the trackpad on the old one.
Overall, just yes.
Now I need to order a second one for the bedroom TV. There is no way I can go back after just 30 minutes with this new one.