WOW!
Wow, I am surprised by the amount of feedback from my post!
Now, this thread is in many different directions. So I think I'm going to put my 2 cents into this.
singingrainbow has a good point with this. Not saying I don't agree with everyone's replies, but I think his is more educated.
These vacs are made for people who need a good clean for a small area, with a small budget. I think this vacuum works really well with that. Small roooms, dorms, and areas are perfect for this vacuum. But for bigger tasks, you would need to look into one of the other Bissell models. In reality, most people cannot afford to drop over $500 for a more "high-end" vacuum. If you had a son/daughter off to collage, would you send them with this vacuum, or a $1,200 Rainbow or a $800 Miele?
I think that answer is pretty obvious...
So to sum up, I like the conversation so I wanted to add my 2 cents.