Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

With two dogs in the house we could not live without our Roomba. The 530 is a vast improvement from earlier models. It seems to pick up more dirt, the battery life is longer, the fast-charge is about 33% more rapid than its Discovery predecessors and it is generally more quiet. The new sensors that prevent the robot from "speed-bumping" into furniture are a very nice touch, but beware if the robot is in a tight area, it may appear sluggish -- the sensors are working to continually slow it down. It's a feature I like, but need to get used to. My only concern with this robot is the high cost of parts. The bot itself is cheaper than earlier models but the components most prone to breakage or wear-out are twice the cost so the lifetime operation costs may be higher. Replacement batteries are nearly $100. Earlier models were $50. ONE MONTH LATER .... This is a slight amend to my review above. Having used it for a month a couple points of note: 1) All of the new 5-Series Roombas lack the "Max Mode" that was common on earlier models. I miss this. I can no longer let it go util the battery runs out. It goes until it "thinks" it's finshed. Well, sometimes we disagree. And I'm usually right. It simply doesn't cover as much ground as I need it too in the standard clean mode. I'd have to mark it down a full star for this -- I can't count on it to do the whole house when I'm at work anymore. 2) The folks I know who have these encountered problems with the side cleaning bushes breaking off. After a month's use, I lost all but one. I'm sure this is high on their list of fixes.