Topic: I'm thinking of getting a Roomba. Again.

[JonLeung]

I've been thinking about one.  I'm sure I mentioned it before.  It's like how I often think about buying an iPod, a laptop, more PixelBlocks, a car, etc....expensive things that I am also too lazy to get, so I keep thinking about buying them again and again...but never actually do buy...yet...



Of course, a Roomba supports laziness...or at least it would if I actually did any housework at home.



Still, the thought of a robot in the home (even if it's just a self-operating vacuum) is pretty cool and may actually push me to buy one.



The reviews I've found are generally very good, but I was wondering if anyone here has had any first-hand experience with them.

[bustin98]

I didn't even know what a Roomba was. Now I know.



While its nice to have something do work for you, I'd prefer to have a reason to get up and move around, even if its something as mundane as housework. The human race is turning into bags of jelly thanks to all of the convienences of modern life.

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Cool beans

[Revned]

Unless you have a gigantic house, it'd probably be easier (and cheaper) to do it yourself. I can just imagine the frustration that would rise when it starts knocking things over or missing spots. I'm sure they aren't perfect like you'd want them to be.

[JonLeung]

Actually, much to my dismay, my parents (yes, I still live at home) finally bought a new vacuum cleaner to replace our old one that's probably been around since the late 70s.  Seriously.



It's lighter, but it's still pretty much the same upright design that still requires being plugged in during operation.  It's also more expensive than a Roomba!  WTF.



I'd rather have an autonomous dust-sucking beetle-like robot for less than to get a similarly-clunky-like-the-old-one for more.



A Roomba doesn't knock things over (except maybe tiny things like LEGO figures if I had any, and if they had any reason to be on the floor in the first place) and it's actually more deeper-cleaning than upright vacuums since it uses brushes as well.



You'd think my mom would be more enthusiastic about robot vacuums since she usually does all the vacuuming.  Some people get too used to the old ways and think they like them, even if it's clearly more work.  I'm thinking of getting new furniture for my room anyway so I may get a Roomba for myself and hopefully get my family liking robots.  If they don't learn to like a little dust-sucker now they will have trouble accepting my own R2-D2 in the hopefully near future.  >_>

[DarkWolf]

Ha, I vacuum my room so little that the Roomba would probably die from dust poisoning.  I would like to have one of those things that cleans the air via charged ions, but they're too expensive, and I'm not quite sure they'd actually work as advertised.

[TerraEsperZ]

I never even considered a Roomba even though it would be neat. Unfortunately, my appartment has a lot of little corners where dustbunnies spontaneously appears that it would be unable to reach. Also, my cat would most likely chase it down and damage it my jumping on it and clawing at it for fun.



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me

[JonLeung]

Not to sound like a Roomba spokesperson here, but it actually has brushes that work in corners.



I guess pets could be a concern.  But some of the testimonials I read make mention of pets (I guess it's good at getting pet hair) and apparently some pets don't mind it.  Maybe it's because it's quieter than nearly all other vacuums?  And a lot of people consider Roombas as pets - several of them have a name for it, and for some reason a common name is Rosy/Rosie/Rosey.  What's up with that?  Is that a Jetsons reference?



I really should get one if I think I'm going to like it so much, and use it lots in the 30-day risk-free trial period, and be ready to post my impressions if anyone asks.

[TerraEsperZ]

Besides, with the amoutn of hair my cat Praline loses every day, that poor robot would get clogged on the first day.



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me

[Revned]

Spend your money on a laptop instead. I don't know if I could ever go back to using a desktop computer. It's just so nice to be able to compute in any room of the house. You could get a nice new MacBook and run both Windows and Macintosh

[JonLeung]

A laptop has always been on my list - my brother really wanted another desktop computer and so last week we got one.  Shuffling them around, I now have a decent computer in my room as well.  Don't know if I'll need another one anytime soon now.



It's like my DS and DS Lite...I'm sure I'd love it, and the portability is really nice, but considering that I don't think it'd leave the house that often, it almost doesn't seem necessary.  A lot of things I do on the computer require time, space, and privacy, three things I'm not so sure I have on the bus on the way to and from work, the only times I feel so lacking from being apart from a computer.  Looks like I'm already too obsessed with being in front of a screen as it is.



But clean floors...everybody loves that.  And robots.  Sounds like you guys are leery about ever getting a Roomba yourself (which surprises me, and kind of disappoints me, honestly) so if I ever do get one I will let you guys know if it meets expectations.  And I'll be honest if it doesn't.

[DarkWolf]

I have a laptop and honestly, I would rather have a tablet PC.  I think with the ability to write with the stylus I would take it with me more places.

[JonLeung]

Are there any tablet PCs that can run all desktop PC software?  If so, that would be sweet.



Whatever happened to Microsoft's Origami thing?

[DarkWolf]

I haven't researched it too much since I don't really the money to invest in one, but most of today's tablet PCs come with Windows XP Tablet Edition, which to my understanding is XP plus some extra functionality for the touch screen, etc.

[JonLeung]

I finally ordered a Roomba on Sunday, and it arrived in the city yesterday, so I picked it up this morning.



First impressions are pretty good.  It's pretty much as you'd expect (charge it up, turn it on, press "clean", and it goes around the room vacuuming), though it's mesmerizing to watch.  I think the dust bin will be impressive to check out after a bit, it's probably full of decade-old dust, especially since I threw out all my old school notes that were rotting underneath my bed and let it rip under there.



Judging from the carpet in its wake, it seems as good as our (non-robotic) vacuum, and it's managed to pick up shredded paper bits and hair that I deliberately threw on the floor so I think it'll be fine.  Even though I don't do the housework around here, this robot guy is very welcome.