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I recently got one of these for my wife and I have to say, it's a pretty cool little machine. Apparently the previous Cricut cutting machines were able to work without a computer, (but they are like 200-300 bucks). This machine needs a computer of some type to get the images to cut. No big deal for us because we're both relatively comfortable with computers. So it was a good trade off for us as this machine is much smaller and cheaper than the other cutters I've seen. (we have also had a Pazzles cutter for about 5 years. It also required a computer, but it was pretty complicated to set up.) This mini machine is cool lookin and low profile. You have to use Provocraft art so you will have to get cartridges or maybe you can buy art online. We were given several cartridges so that worked out. Then you hook up to this free software online that you design and cut from.
The only thing I wish for with this, is that it would be nice to be able to buy just a single piece of art online for a buck that you could put in some kind of folder. Then you could just pick and choose the stuff you wanted to cut instead of having to buy the whole cartridge pack.
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Hi Everyone!So I recently bought the Cricut Mini and wanted to tell you about my experience and give you some product information that would help you decide if you want to purchase this item.
As you all know the Cricut Mini is the lowest cost Cricut machine on the market. It's made to be compact, easy to use, and travel ready. This machine will cut shapes from ¼" up to 11 ¼" on a 8 ½" x 12" cutting mat. Like every other Cricut machine out there you will need to buy cartridges if you want to expand your library. With the Cricut MIni you will get the Cricut Font and Basic Shapes digital cartridge for free. You can use physical or digital catridges but you must have this connected to a computer to cut. The machine connects to the Cricut Craft Room and all projects are printed from there.
Inside the box you will find:
the Cricut Mini machine
8 ½" x 12" cutting mat
Quick Start Guide
Blade Assembly
USB Cable
Power Adapter
Everything is packed well and you shouldn't have any damaged parts when opening the box. You will see the papers and cutting board placed on top of the machiine so be careful if you are usinga box cutter to open. Also I would place the cuting mat on a flat surface with something heavy and flat on top to flatten it out. The cutting mat will be slightly curved from packaging but it will work fine.
Installing the machine:
Ok so this is where many people are having problems. I installed this in a PC with Windows. The Cricut Mini can connect to MAC's. However I didn't do that so I don't you if you will have the same problems. The instructions are fairly easy to understand but don't follow them unless you want a headache for the rest of the night.
As I said earlier the Cricut Mini connects to your computer and uses teh Cricut Craft Room. Here is a step by step of how to install your machine one time.
Do not plug you machine into your computer until instructed to or else it will mess everything up and you will have to uninstall and start over.
1. Download and install the older version of craftroom
Do not upgrade it at this time.
2. After installing the old version of craftroom close the program, turn on the Cricut mini and plug it into your computer. Let it install the drivers. Follow the screen prompts. When you finish it will tell you to turn off and then turn on the machine. Do that and then hit ok.
3. While the mini is still plugged in and turned on, open craftroom and update to the newest version. It will ask you to update as soon as you open the program. Once it is updated you should be fine.
After installing go ahead and add your free digital catridge to your craftroom and start playing around with the machine.
Before you start cutting be advised there has been many mixed reviews about the stickiness of the cutting mats. I agree there is a problem with them. The stickiness seems to last only 3 or 4 cuts before you have any problems. I have found using double sided tape on the bottom and top of your paper seems to fix these issues. I reccommend Scotch double sided tape and just a little bit.
Last thing I want to mention is this machine is not silent. It does make sound while it cuts. While this doesn't bother me (I can watch TV and work on projects at the same time)it may bother others.
Based on the 2 issues above I would still reccommend the Cricut Mini.
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If you have seen the infomercial and are now interested in this item, do lots of research before buying. make sure it does what you want/need/expect.I should have known from the start that there would be a problem. The first ad I had seen said I could get free shipping. When I tried to order directly from Provo, it said $20 shipping. I again looked at the ad on Provo's site, still says free shipping. I e-mailed them about it and they responded 4 days later to tell me there was no free shipping, but they could offer free processing. I looked again, it still said free shipping on the site, but would then add $20 shipping during the order.
I ended up ordering from somewhere else. The mat was so sticky, it ruined my paper. Then the mat was completely ruined. I did a search and found this was common and it was suggested to contact Provo for a free replacement mat. I e-mailed them. 3 days later they email back to say they will replace, but only if I call. After an hour on hold (message boards say hold times of 1-2 hours is common) I hung up.
Update: I e-mailed again, telling them about the long hold time and asked if they could just send me the replacement and included my mailing address. They basically told me 'too bad'. If I want the mat, stay on hold as long as it takes because they cannot address this concern by e-mail, although they did admit to a number of faulty mats and that they are aware of the problem.
The machine is not as quiet as they claim. It is about as loud as an old printer.
If you have a more expensive cricut and love it and want something small this may work for you.
Also, many people I have chatted with on crafting boards think that you get free images via the craft room with this. You can play around with layouts for free but if you want to print, you still have to buy image sets or cartridges for approximately $40 per set (sometimes as low as $10 for a few holiday designs on the craft room site).
Honest reviews on Cricut Mini Cutting Machine
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This is a nice little portable Cricut not as heavy duty as the "regular" Cricut, but it is good for taking it from place-to-place as we have moved it from room to room in the house as well as picked it up and taken it over to others' houses as the kids work on various projects for school.We hooked this one up to both a Windows laptop (HP) and a Mac Book Pro without any issues once we made sure we followed the included instructions step-by-step (this is hard for a guy like me to do) as it is apparently important to do all of the steps in order or it will bomb.
Cutting on this one is just fine a little slower and noisier than the regular size Cricut but the shapes / letters come out crisp. Other reviews have commented on the cutting mat adhesive and that's a fair assessment, and if you use double-sided tape you should be ok. DON'T use something that is super-duper sticky or you will have further problems!
Reading the comments above may make the review sound negative and that's not my intention they are just things to look out for as you use your Cricut. The unit is good and, at $99 is a good alternative to the full-size Cricut. I'd recommend this one if you are not doing that many jobs with it based upon pricing and the cost of add-on features. If you're a big scrapbooker or have a lot of projects to do with your children as an example, you may consider spending more money and going with the full-size Cricut.
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