People who know me well already know that I am big on convenience - I don't like to waste time on things that can be automated or ignored. A look at my yard makes this clear. Anyway, for things I can't ignore, I automate as much as possible - I added a garbage disposal and dishwasher to my kitchen, I bought a single unit washer/dryer that obviates the need to transfer wet laundry, my A/C has an electronic temperature control, I use an iPod instead of CDs, and I use TiVo to avoid commercials and channel surfing. All of these things let me have more time to things I want to do, industrious (building a shed or furniture) or otherwise (video games).

Perhaps needless to say, I've never been a big vacuumer. My vision isn't that great, and I don't have any allergies, so really I don't worry about cleaning the floors until I can actually see things that need to be picked up, or until I have company coming over. My wife seems to share this vision of household labor. But now that we have a baby, things are different. We need to keep up with cleaning, especially vacuuming. This is especially so since we have two dogs that track in dirt and shed small amounts of dog hair.

Now, I have a nice vacuum. Two, actually - a regular vacuum and a steam cleaner. Yes, I may not vacuum often, but when I do, I go whole hog and steam clean the entire downstairs (upstairs stays pretty clean). Anyway, it occurred to me, the other day, that if one were to vacuum as often as necessary, one might very well spend more time vacuuming than having sex. Now, I'm resigned to spending more time, say, commuting, than engaging in the more pleasant aspects of life. But vacuuming?? No chance, that's rot.

When those thoughts occurred to me, I happened to be looking at a Roomba - a robotic vacuum. Having thoroughly convinced myself of the obvious value, I bought one.

The Roomba is pretty cute. It is about 12 inches in diameter, maybe a little bigger, and rises about 3 or 4 inches from the ground. You charge it up like a handheld spot vacuum, with a charger in the wall. When ready to vacuum, you put it in the middle of the room and press start, entering the room size as either small, medium, or large. The motor cranks up, and the little cracker starts cruising in an expanding spiral. Then, when it hits something, the fun starts. After a collision, the logic kicks in, and it works it's way along walls, around chair legs, under furniture, the whole bit. It's fun to watch, actually. And the dogs love it!

I've been using it for a few days, and my initial impression is very good. Aside from the "wow" factor, it really does a good job. Because it isn't worried about speed, it takes its time and focuses on vacuuming a very small amount of space at a time. This is very effective, as it pulls in a lot of small particles. A heavy spinning brush does a great job with hair, both human and pet. After a go or two, the rooms were noticeably cleaner, with fresh looking carpets throughout. The Roomba has no difficulty changing surfaces, either, and makes the transition from our living room to our kitchen with ease.

Roomba has a couple handy features, too. It if gets stuck, for example wedged under a piece of furniture, it lets out a little whine and turns off. Likewise, it won't go over stairs, crashing to its doom. I watched carefully to verify these features, and they work perfectly. The only downside I've found thus far is that I have to clean the roller after letting it clean for a while - it's good that it cleans up the hair, but having to remove it kind of sucks. But, that's the same with my other vacuum - as I understand it, many vacuums burn out because the roller no longer turns because it is choked with hair or string. The Roomba, while requiring frequent maintenance (in our house), is at least convenient to clean - you just put it upside-down on your lap.

My Roomba

My recommendation? Get one. Everyone will have these in 10 years, and people will wonder why anyone ever vacuumed "by hand". Right now, these are fairly new, so there is a bit of a price premium - the model I got is $199, and they go up from there. Nonetheless, for anyone willing to part with some money in order to keep a clean floor with a minimum effort, it's a great little gadget. Good job on the engineering and packaging, and a "big time" convenience factor.