Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Original review below, but now I have to say that the battery holds no charge whatsoever. My son has gotten totally disillusioned with this. I will contact the company about a replacement. We just received our Parrot Rolling Spider this morning and have been playing with it all day. After reading the previous reviews that were posted here, my son (for whom this is a birthday present) was prepared to be completely disappointed. In fact, we had planned to simply ship it back without opening it. But we were curious, so we figured we'd give it a shot. Result: We have been playing with it all day and having a great time. Our biggest concern was the battery life, but in fact it's held a charge adequate to engage with it -- to have it fly, do tricks, climb walls, and take photos. Really, no complaints. So far, we've heeded the warnings of other users here and on the Parrot forum to avoid updating the software. Apparently, the current update will destroy the batteries ability to hold a charge. (I'm not sure if it actually harms the battery or just interferes with the software's ability to manage the battery.) We haven't had a problem, in any case. Is eight minutes enough time to enjoy flying the drone, if you then have to wait an additional 90 minutes for the next complete charge? For us, the answer is yes when you put the toy's features and price as a whole into perspective. First, the iPhone app is quite good. My son had learned how to fly the drone before it even arrived because he had followed the tutorials and learned how to use the iPhone controls. Once unboxed, he was operating the controls competently. He had the drone in the air and doing flips within one minute of connecting it to the iPhone via Bluetooth. In fact, he had the thing staring me in the face, its red eyes watching me eerily like one of those drones in "Minority Report." The propellers spin so fast and so strongly, that they create a strong breeze when hovering overhead. (It sent popcorn scattering out of a bowl and into the air.) The sound of the drone is a rather pleasant buzz; the pitch is low enough that it's not annoying. Onto the build quality: If you've ever wasted money on something like a Hubsan, you'll be pleasantly surprised. This is a solidly constructed device. And the wheels are a brilliant touch because they act as bumpers during the inevitable, occasional collisions.They protect the propellers from getting damaged or coming oof. (They also provide additional opportunities for tricks, such as walking up walls and across ceilings, as noted previously.) For the price, there is a lot of technology, fun and robust hardware built into this little package. It's miles ahead of what's currently out there in the flying/toy/drone category. It feels like a real drone, with limitations that are completely acceptable and manageable considering the price point and target market.