Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I first want to start by saying I have owned many Cricut machines, including the most recent Expression 2. I was dedicated to the brand. This until a friend of mine showed me her Silhouette SD. The cuts were so precise! No paper ripping, no rough edges, no expensive cartridges and beautiful outcomes! I decided I was going to sell my Cricut and purchase the new Silhouette Cameo. I have been using it every day for about a week and I have not regretted my decision to part with my Cricut! I can honestly say, this machine is great. I find myself in shock after cutting each image. It is so clean, the images are stunning! The graphics available through the design software that came with the Silhoette are wonderful. If you go to Silhouette's website, you can preview the designs for free, prior to purchase. The images are relatively cheap compared to having to buy expensive cartridges in which you only need one image. Almost all of the images are .99 and you can use your own fonts along with the supplied software. I have used a couple of websites which sell SVG files and print them out then cut. They turn out amazing! Included with your Silhoette purchase, you receive a $10 credit towards the online store. I should also mention you can purchase a subscription (which is what I did) instead of paying per image. I used a coupon code which saved 20% on the subscription rate. A quick google search will help you find a code. I pay $16 a month for $150 of images!!! That is nearly 150 images! There are lower rates available too but decided this was the best bang for my buck. I am able to use $150 of images in 2 months time, meaning, if I don't use all my "credits" within the month, they don't expire until the following month. Great deal! Another positive the Cameo has over the Cricut is the cutting mats and accessories. The cutting mat is wonderful, not too sticky, just perfect. Recently, Cricut changed their cutting mats in which I couldn't get anything to stick while cutting, thus ruining projects! Not the Cameo! I have used my mat a ton and it is still sticky, Silhoette claims their mats last 5 times longer than Cricut... I completely believe it! Another fun thing about the Silhoette is the sketch pens. I was skeptical at first but bought the metallic pens and the designs turned out so beautifully! The pens are great quality! Another point I would like to bring up is customer service. Their customer service is amazing! If you email them during business hours, they respond within 5 minutes, if that. Now that's customer service! Another example is when I called their 1-800 number. I was expecting to wait on hold after pushing numerous buttons to get to the right peron. I dialed the number and I heard, "thanks for calling Silhoette...". Shocking! They were very friendly and helpful. In conclusion, I have to respectfully disagree with the prior review. I am a card maker and mom who loves to make goodie bags for my kids' school classes and I can honestly say, The Silhoette Cameo is a great, great product! Anyone who is on the fence... trust me, you will love it! No more Cricut and no more expensive cartridges! :)