Roomba Rocks!

That dream has been answered by a company called Irobot! The product is the Roomba Robotic Intelligent Floorvac, and in short, Roomba rocks! Irobot also designs and produces robotics for industrial tasks and the military - Roomba's dirt-seeking pattern stems from the same technology as a unit which clears minefields. If you have hard floors or low-pile carpet the Roomba is unbeatable for efficient cleaning. As an experiment, I've tried "pre-cleaning" with my powerful canister vacuum then letting the Roomba loose - sure enough, it finds plenty of dog-hair, cat litter and dirt the other vacuum left behind.

The best part of having a Roomba is ... YOU don't have to vacuum! A little "room prep" (to keep the robot out of trouble on things like carpet fringe), and you can go shopping, answer your email, or take the dog for a walk while it does it's thing.

Quieter than a regular vacuum, it's less likely to scare your dogs and cats. And it's so cute it really DOES feel like part of the family. Some owners have even been known to name them - "Rosie" and "Monica" are popular choices. Think I'm kidding? Check out the Roomba user forums!

If you live with pets, the Roomba does need a little TLC. Long dog hair in particular can wrap around the brush axles and damage then. Irobot recommends cleaning the brushes every 10 times you use it. I clean mine more often. It's no big deal, the product is well designed and this routine maintenance is a piece of cake - it takes about 10 minutes.

No product is perfect for everyone. If you have deep pile or shag carpeting, the Roomba is not for you. It will choke on fringe and cables unless you move them out of the way beforehand. And while it can manouver around and underneath furniture, it needs enough space to fit between objects. Also, because of its shape, it can't get all the way into square corners or anywhere you'd need a crevice tool.

There's no denying there's a certain entertainment factor to the Roomba, and definite geek-appeal for the technically-minded. And if you hate to vacuum, something that does even part of this task for you is a big plus!.

Current models are:

• The affordable Roomba 4100 (red) - a basic model, comes with a 7 hr charger and 1 virtual wall.
• Roomba 4105 (green) - with dirt sensing feature (gives extra attention wherever it finds a lot of debris). Comes with 3 hr fast charger and 2 virtual walls.
• Roomba Discovery - In addition to the features of the 4105, the Discovery self-charges and comes with a remote control and wall mount.
• Roomba Discovery SE - top of the line, the Discovery SE also has an advanced power system.

I highly recommend getting a couple of the virtual walls, and, unless you're the patient type, the rapid charger too. While generally a fan of online auctions, this is one product I don't recommend buying used - if the first owner didn't care for it properly you could be in for major repair headaches.

Prices for the basic Roomba Red start at around $150. Although it costs a little more, the dirt sensing feature, rapid charger and extra virtual wall make the Roomba 4105 (Green) a better value. In any case, in this reviewer/pet owner's opinion the Roomba Robotic Intelligent Floorvac is worth every penny!

Summary:

Pros: Excellent for cleaning pet hair, cat litter, and anything else on hard floors and low pile carpet, especially in open areas. Allows you to multi-task by vacuuming while you do something else.

Cons: Doesn't do deep-pile carpet, have to safeguard it from fringe and cables, need to clean the brushes periodically. Doesn't get into corners or tight spaces.

The Bottom Line: Even if you only use it for cleaning part of your house, this innovative product can be a useful and efficient timesaver.