You can't compare the TR-1 to any manual steering method. Hands down if money was no object i'm sure that most of us would have the TR-1.
Now if you want to compare the trol-eze to a tiller, IMO your better off with the trol-eze. When i first started using it I had to get used to the controls. This took a few hours of use. In higher winds I ended up trolling with the main engine since the wind blew my boat around. This would have happened with or without the trol-eze.
Anything that is connected to the i/o doesn't work to well with an alaskan bulkhead, wife and kids. When a rod goes off and you have to run from the helm to get it dodging things in your way, anything remote is the way to go.

Periwinkle, if you want to check out the install on my trophy, I live in sultan. Send me an e-mail and we'll hook up. If you would like to decide for yourself, i'll be on the water this weekend (launch in everett) your welcome to come and try it for yourself.
I'm not a salesman, just trying to help a guy out. By the way, Fishbelly2 if you read this, Doing anything saturday morning?