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Written by SAM LUBELLDEC
The 26,200 2MY apartment presents a huge challenge for any vacuum cleaner, robot or other equipment.
A lot of dust almost forced me to buy a heavy car.
Duty vacuum and air purifiers even hire professional cleaning services to stop themselves from breathing.
I 've been hesitating to let strangers in to pack things up, and I hope robots like Roomba smart flooring don't bother people that much even if they have their own, programming ideas on how to clean.
I am like a proud but worried new father, loose in my living room.
All I have to do is press the L button and for the big room it is off, make the clock in a cute robot way and look cute and excited.
Roomba began to move around our hardwood floors in a larger concentric circle, about the size of the classroom wall clock.
When it hits the table, it starts to sweep around like a dog turns around your leg when he likes you.
With Roomba rotating along the wall, side
The sweeping mechanism is done with a dive stroke and even an impressive dust destruction in the corner.
But this prediction is unlikely in a small space.
Although it is easy to cleanto-
Find five sub-zones in the middle of the room, so the neglected space and tight place are only hit once.
The messy corridor made it bump back and forth.
The programming direction system of Roomba is not covered manually, so the best solution to clean the neglected place is to lift the Roomba to that location.
My Roomba was brave despite some directional difficulties.
It managed to get most (but not all)
In the coins and nails I discarded for the test, it drove at full speed under the threatening bed and sofa, spinning in obscurity.
In my girlfriend's apartment, it accidentally knocked over a folding table that fell right on it, and it was fine.
Despite the initial difficulties, it did a heroic job on my roommate's carpet.
If not better, it cleans up the bigger carpet and also the hard floor.
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Nevertheless, I was not impressed that our tastier carpet was listed as a restricted area on the instructions.
The tassels are sucked into the machine.
The instructions also say I must (gasp! )
Pick up most of the small items and wires on its path.
The big trouble is in the form of small hidden objects that I can't remove in time.
Along the way, items are sometimes caught in the brush, causing the gears to grind out loud, making sad beeps, stopping and prompting me to pull them out ---
A new sock fastener with ropes, hair, wires, rubber bands.
When the Roomba adventure got stuck with glue under the recliner, the low point came
Mouse Trap.
After the glue event, it didn't get very effective until I took the brush out (
The hard task of needing a small screwdriver)
Wash them with soap and water.
Advertising in all, Roomba (
$200 in Brookstone, Hammacher Schlemmer or clearer images;
Information on Wwwroombavac. com)
Simple, effective and fun.
This beeping little guy is no longer a stranger, but a member of the family. he has his own personality.
You take root in its exploration.
But while it's more fun than vacuuming itself, it's not that effective ---
Of course, this is not possible compared to the traditional upright.
Still, the floor looks good and the smaller rooms are especially clean.
A little bit of breathing disappeared.
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A version of this article appears on the national G00007 page on December 26, 2002, with the title: Test Drive;
Rootba: can it catch the dust rabbit? .