Kimi, the WR7 is a cheap alternative to harmony. JP1 is cheaper and better but can be too complicated for the average user to set up. A few advantages over the WR7 are programming via PC, ability to use discrete codes, pronto hex, nested macros, 5 functions per button, fast macros, custom key group mapping, unlimited devices, etc.
But I digress. The advantage of a remote with macros is that you can perform complex activities with a single button press. For example, to watch WMC, I have to do the following: turn on tv, turn on AVR, turn on Xbox, wake computer, launch WMC on Xbox, switch vol keys to AVR, select AVR input, select tv input, map transport keys to Xbox. With a macro I can do all of that with a single button press. And with discrete commands like on harmony or JP1, power states never get out of sync (turning some devices off when you meant to turn them on), and you can go directly to a specific input with a single command without arrowing up and down through input menus. Getting all that extra functionality for $20 is really hard to pass up.