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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Gazelle Review (part 2) - First Impressions

If you have been following me on Facebook, you will know by now that my Gazelle and I are not exactly taking to each other. Seriously, I unboxed the Thing a week ago (see unboxing post here) and it has not even cut anything and I'm already ranting. 

This is why:

1. Shocking PINK!


Y'all already know how I feel about the color (see here) so I won't grumble about that again. If I decide to keep this machine after I am done with my reviews series, I may just remove the end caps and spray paint them.


2. Black Skid Marks.
I have a long and narrow white craft table that I love. As soon as I put the Gazelle on it, I noticed these black marks on the table.

Even a small nudge on the cutter will result in a black mark on my white table. :( Someone on FB mentioned that I should stop moving it but I can't. I'm still trying to figure out the best spot for it on my table but these black marks are driving me insane. Thank goodness I have a spray bottle of Goo Gone that makes these marks easy to clean off but still, new skid marks are there whenever the machine is moved and the stench of Goo Gone stays in the craft room for a long time.

Come to think of it, my Silhouette SD does the same thing but because it is lighter, the marks are not as dark and they never bothered me as much as the marks left by the Gazelle.


3. Dongle


Inside the over stuffed DVD cover lays a thingy that looks like a small usb stick. That's a dongle and it acts like a security key. I think that it's hilarious and inconvenient to make the users deal with one. Besides, isn't a dongle a pretty old concept? Anyway, if you intend on using the free program that came with the cutter, you'll have to put this dongle thing in a safe place (and remember where you kept it) because the Funtime program will not run without it.


4. 3 DVDs.


There are 3 dvds that came with the machine: A Training Video, The Funtime software, and a Bonus dvd. I think that's one too many. Couldn't the Bonus Gazelle Rhinestone be included with the Funtime Cutting dvd? Looking at these 3 dvds makes me feel a little Earth Un-friendly.

5. Tiny Pictures in the Instruction Manual.



Seriously, some of the pictures in the Instruction Manual are so tiny, it is impossible to figure out what the pictures are showing.

6. Ugly USB Cable


Personally, I really don't like the see-through usb cable that came with the cutter. I think its ugly but thank goodness usb cables are easily replaceable. 

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So far I am a little bummed that the Gazelle isn't making me impressed. I have read such good things about it! Will it change my mind when I finally get it to cut something? I'm going to find out really soon. Stay tuned.


6 comments :

  1. Jin, have you tried those Mr. Clean white sponges? They get scuff marks off walls beautifully, and--no smell!

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  2. Wow, weird. My printer cable was black but it was too short. Thank goodness I work part-time at Best Buy and can get them dirt cheap. I needed a extra long one till I can get the Expression out of the way.

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  3. http://www.bosskuttraining.com/ is a helpful place to start.

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  4. Something tells me I would be as frustreted as you, first of all, I HATE pink, that would have to go immediately :) second of all, when I buy something expensive I want it to look nice, it doesn't seem hard to include a USB cable that matched the machine, like a simple white one, and finally that dongle bit is ridiculous to me oh and I like BIG clear instructions! But anyway, not to be a complainer but I figure with big purchases I bought the rights to! LOL! I guess we will see what happens when my Lynx arrives!

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  5. OMG, Alyssa! Thank you! I was starting to think that I was being petty and vain but thanks to your post I know I'm not alone. I do like my things to look nice especially when I have to look at it all the time. That cable is so yuck and it does not match with anything I have on my desk. {{Hugs}}

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  6. Wow I just got the gazelle and had a great experience. My usb cord was sparkle blue, so I used a white one instead. Had no problems cutting. Did have some problems with click blade holder. Once I figured out what I was doing wrong, it cut great. Sorry your experience was so negative.

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