Are you all excited for the new season of Project Runway?  I’m a big fan of that show and thought it was really cool to see Suede from Season 5 at the show helping to promote the eCraft cutting machine.

I first reported on the eCraft last summer after CHA.  It was their first showing back then and the machine looked a lot different!  What I love about Craftwell is they took advice!  The new machine has so many of the features that consumers wanted.  This one will be a true contender in the personal cutting system market.

If you clicked on the link above for my post from last year, you’ll see the difference between the machines from just a year ago.  This machine is more sleek and user friendly.

I haven’t had the chance to try this machine out more than making a few cuts at their booth so I’m not an expert on how it works.  But, I will give you some of my opinions on the features and from what I’ve seen on the machines in the past year.

PROS:

• no cutting mats! There is still the need to use some stabilizers if you plan to cut non-traditional items like felt, fabric, etc…
• upload your own designs! eCraft gives its consumers the ability to make and cut their own designs (it uses .svg files).  Not only that, you will be able to upload your images to their sharing site and sell them iTunes style.
• ability to purchase individual designs! Mentioned above, the iTunes style sharing site allows you to purchase designs from others without having to invest a lot of money in a cartridge where you might only want a few of the images.
• rechargable battery! This makes the machine super portable for crops or for ease of use around the house.
• no limit on length! Using a paper roller attachment, you can cut out images to any length.

Cons:

• pre-loaded images on SD cards are  not too exciting.  I was not too inspired by the images that came with the machine.  There was also no way to get to a specific design quickly (using the machine alone) without scrolling through all of the designs.
• colors of the machine. Personally, I was surprised with the color choices of the machine.  There is a bright pink (they named it Pinc), purple (Purpleberry), a light blue (Skye) and white (Glacier).  Aside from the names, I felt the colors were a bit juvenile.  The bright pink and purple just weren’t my style.  And, I guess that’s what it all comes down to.  Personal preference.  For me, the color choices end up in the cons.  For someone else, they could be a big pro.  I would definitely choose Glacier for my own machine.
• not readily available. It’s been a year and we still don’t have the machines in stores.  I’m glad they waited to implement some positive changes into the machine, but I question whether or not it is *really* ready to sell to the public and what stores will eventually carry them.

The retail price on this machine will be $349.  Is it something you would consider buying?  Would you replace another cutting machine you might have with this one?