Despite being a committed 135 fan, I could never come to terms with the designer insisting that at two fairly intense stages of flight (just after CDP and just prior to LDP) you take one hand off the controls, look and lean across the cockpit and firmly (if you jab it, you screw the system!) press a button on the far side of the cockpit! All in the name of safety!!
Without doubt, semi-automatic is the way to go - you know you are about to carry out a Cat A/confined procedure, then arm the system! If you are reducing speed for surveillance ops etc. at altitude then don’t bother.
Bobby, I know what you are saying about the Nr/Cat A switch, when I first converted to T2 I was very worried that an overenthusiastic flare would produce an overspeed, however, with many mishandled approaches under my belt I am now ‘reasonable confident’ that the fadec is competent enough to not throw in extra fuel when I am out of control! No doubt I will be proved wrong at some point.
Cheers
TeeS