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#301714 - 23/08/2007 16:31 New Roomba 500 series
Robotic
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
I think there are a couple of other Roomba affectionados out there in empegland... so I'll share this news here.

iRobot's intro-info page
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=334

RoombaReview forum thread
http://www.roombareview.com/chat/viewtopic.php?t=6043

I'll be shipping back my 'broke-six-ways-from-Sunday' Discovery from 2004 to Hammacher Schlemmer as soon as they start stocking the new 570. Yay for full-refund guarantees!

BTW, I'm up to 7 Roombas.
Disco I - HammSchlem, broken down and used for parts
Disco SE - Amazon refurb, works fine, out on loan
Disco SE - craigslist, works fine, out on loan
Disco SE - craigslist, gone crazy
Gen I - free from friend, gone crazy: possible transmission failure
Gen I Pro - craigslist, brushes not turning
Red - craigslist, works fine

I must be nuts.
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10101311 (20GB- backup empeg)
10101466 (2x60GB, Eutronix/GreenLights Blue) (Stolen!)

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#301715 - 23/08/2007 16:53 Re: New Roomba 500 series [Re: Robotic]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
With your handle I wouldn't expect anything else!
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Cheers,

Andy M

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#301716 - 23/08/2007 17:04 Re: New Roomba 500 series [Re: Robotic]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
I love my Roomba, and I finally got to use my Scooba recently, and it seems to do quite a good job as well.

Here's a video comparison on Engadget. I think he spends a little too much time on how the Roombas deal with cables. I assumed every Roomba owner carefully routes their speaker/power chords to accommodate their robots...
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Matt

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#301717 - 23/08/2007 17:36 Re: New Roomba 500 series [Re: Dignan]
drakino
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
Quote:
Here's a video comparison on Engadget. I think he spends a little too much time on how the Roombas deal with cables.


Agreed. While the video shows both the older and newer models running, it doesn't really show the differences. Does the new one clean better? How does the lighthouse mode on the walls work? How much bigger is the new dirt bin next to the old one?

I'm pondering giving my Discovery away as a gift as an excuse to upgrade, but not really sure it's necessary yet. I'll probably hold off till the 5xx series shows up in the refurb channels.

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#301718 - 23/08/2007 17:45 Re: New Roomba 500 series [Re: drakino]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
There are definitely some features to the new one that make me want one. The primary one just may be that it's supposedly sealed much better, so you don't end up cleaning every crevice of the robot. I've been using my Roomba in my office for the last several months, and it gets pretty dusty in here. When I go to empty out the waste bin, I end up at the sink for half an hour, cleaning the dust out of everywhere.
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Matt

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#301719 - 23/08/2007 18:33 Re: New Roomba 500 series [Re: Dignan]
Robotic
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
Quote:
When I go to empty out the waste bin, I end up at the sink for half an hour, cleaning the dust out of everywhere.

I take the roombas out back and blast them with compressed air every once in a while. That cleans out all the nooks and crannies as well as the filter. Come to think of it, I've never replaced a filter, just keep on air-hosing them off.
The air blasting usually fixes some minor behavior issues, too. Erroneous 'cliff-edge' signals disappear.
_________________________
10101311 (20GB- backup empeg)
10101466 (2x60GB, Eutronix/GreenLights Blue) (Stolen!)

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#301720 - 25/08/2007 16:06 Re: New Roomba 500 series [Re: Robotic]
FireFox31
pooh-bah

Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
Don't enslave the robots. Some day they'll enslave you.
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FireFox31
110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set

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