So Much Attention Over A Robotic Vacuum
from the it's-roomba-mania dept
Who knew one little robotic vacuum could get so much attention? The popular "Roomba" robotic vacuum that you can just turn on let it do it's stuff made some news today by launching two new models. Of course, this little device seems to bring out very different opinions from different people. Some question whether or not it's really a robot at all, and point to the fact that it's method of vacuuming a room is completely random. It doesn't have a set plan or know where it's going - or where it's been. It just keeps humming along. However, because of this, the reporter in the previous article suggests that the folks at iRobot who make the Roomba are making a mistake marketing it as a device that you can just turn on and then walk away from. Instead, it's a conversation piece that is destined to draw attention. In other words, you won't be able to stop yourself from watching. Not everyone agrees. Another reviewer says that the randomness means you should walk away or you'll get frustrated with its random path, it's missed spots and the few places it seems to hit over and over again. However, this last article also points out that the people at iRobot are thrilled that a Roomba hacking community has been built up around the device (unlike the folks at Sony who went ballistic when they discovered people were daring to hack the Aibo).
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Rooooooomba !
Until then I'll settle for my Oreck 'cause it really does weigh very little and does a superior job.
I think the Roomba is a great invention and with a few more improvements may become defacto for vaccums.
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it has to look like a robot
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I owned one
over and out.
G
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Returned mine
I had to return mine. It worked fine on hard surfaces, but on the carpet it just dragged its butt and struggled to move, until it decided that it was blocked and gave that "I quit!" beeping.
I'm sure it works okay on berber, and it should be fine on glue-down. But if the carpet has any noticeable pile to it, the Roomba seems to be unusable. The rubber flange that extends crosswise underneath the unit seems to dig into the carpet pile and prevent any motion.
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Re: Rooooooomba !
http://www.robocleaner.de/english/work2.html
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Re: I owned one
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