I like that new design. The middle mounted belt was one of the things I didn't care for on the Rainbow. It looks like the fan shaped dirt channel is partially blocked by the motor housing, does that affect cleaning at all on that side? Did Rainbow increase the power of the motor recently? Thought I read that on here. Someone above mentioned that the new side-mounted belt might help with Consumer Reports testing. Not very likely as long as CR continues using talcum powder which isn't water soluble and clogs HEPA filters rapidly. The problem with the CR results isn't the Rainbow, it's CR's substitution of real-world soil with sand/talcum powder. High-end vacuums with highly sealed filtration lose airflow quickly, especially those with "paper" bags. Don't let Consumer Reports get you down, just go with your own eyes. If you can keep your carpets goodlooking, you have a good cleaner that's removing soil effectively.
