Glad to see we are getting some good input here, including the post from Jorn.

Jorn has been working on software longer than almost anyone and although I have
yet to download and evaluate his program, I should imagine that it is getting
quite advanced and stable.  I hope he will document more details of his system
here and how it is working for beekeepers.  I'd like to know how many beekeepers
are now using it and in what countries and what sizes of operations.

> CNet has the bunch including reviews and prices. They usually do a good
> job and are fairly unbiased.
>
> http://two.digital.cnet.com/cgi-bin2/flo?y=eBjs0BIws80U0bHB0Ai

Thanks. I find CNet and ePinions very useful for many things, however I found
that the listings of features etc. were a bit meaningless until I had one home
and had actually used one for a few hours.  I recommend buying one that seems
reasonable in price and features with the understanding that it can go back
within a week or two for full refund if not satisfactory.  Then you can trade up
or down or just get your money back.  When you have an actual unit in your hand
these ratings and comparisons are much more meaningful.

> > bought the second cheapest one to play

> How much did that one cost (approximately)?

$300 CAD or about $200US.

> Now that you've made the leap, would you buy a more expensive one if you
> did it over?  Why?

I'll probably buy more of them for my wife and employees over time.  I'll pass
on the more basic units and move up if I see any advantage.  Right now the one I
have is more feature-laden than I can comprehend.

I regard these small items as disposable -- with a one year expected useful
life -- and don't want to spend a lot now for features that I do not need today.
I know newer and better units will be cheaper by the time I get to where I want
them.

I'm happy now.

allen