Cricut Explore is in the House

Photo by ProvoCraft

This is a short post.   My Cricut Explore is here.  It arrived yesterday by UPS.  Just in time, because of the following reasons:

• I was on a 4-day vacation from last Thursday until Monday.  If I was scheduled to come back home yesterday, No telling where my Explore would have gone.
• I checked my funds Monday, and according to my bank, $59.99 was taken out of my account by HSN via Paypal.  Good thing I had cash with me.
• I started watching YouTube videos non-stop since Saturday.

So there is no doubt that I will enjoy this new machine.  Now I have three again, and I am going to use them in different ways:

1. For my Expression 2 machine, I am going to continue to design with Cricut Classroom, especially if the project I am making does not require me to alter much with the cartridges.
2. With my Explore, I am going to use SVGs, the carts, anything that is allowed with the Cricut Design Space software.  The only thing I do not like about it so far is if my internet service goes down, so does the ability to design with the software.  Other than that, I am excited to try this software.
3. Now for the elephant in the room, my Imagine.   I do have one thing to say about my Imagine, and Cricut lovers, do not take this the wrong way.  I love my Imagine, and I was very excited when I got the machine (used), I could not wait to use it.  I did not have any problems updating it the first time I got it.   In fact, I updated it two or three times before March 2012.  I have not been able to update since then, but that is OK, because I decided that instead of calling and screaming at ProvoCraft, I will be hooking up my Imagine to Cricut Classroom ever again.   I am OK with that decision.

The way I look at it is this:  Yes, so many people are disappointed with PC, but to me, PC does not hold my tomorrow.  I KNOW who holds my tomorrow, and it is not a man-made company.  This company can go bankrupt any moment now (despite the new machine coming online and hitting the stores for everyone else in April).  I can move on from this.  Yes, I am sad that the Imagine, Gypsy, Cricut Cake, and the baby Cricuts are no longer supported, but that is just the way business, ANY business works.  People change, companies change.  When the Explore was introduced last month, I watched like everyone else, and yes, I did consider the Silhouette Cameo, but I wanted to stick with the same company. 

I looked at pricing (which Cameo did come out ahead slightly than the Explore), subscription price (OK, I have to give a slight edge to ProvoCraft with their deal with HSN/Anna Griffith), and if it supports sending projects to the printer or not (available right now for Cameo, coming later for Explore).  The biggest edge was to have the ability to cut SVG files and to see how the new president of ProvoCraft was going to handle everything.  This is his first project, and I hope when I open the box, read instructions, put it through “Patricia” paces (my cute little saying for seeing how the machine works with me), the machine will live up to the name “Cricut”.  If it does not work out, it is going back on the first train smoking, and I will get a Cameo sooner than later.   

So, if I have the time tonight, I will open the box, but for now, it is protected.   I need to clear some space, and set it up.   I also need to register it (I already downloaded the connector software to Designer Space), and start playing.  I hope that this machine does not become another Imagine that does not have the support after it does not perform up to par with PC’s customers.  I need it to come out of the box and do its thing, just like the Expression 2 did when I first took it out of the box.