This paper shredder is definitely an improvement to my older trusty unit, which is a lot smaller. First, it does have a rather large footprint and I had to move it out of my small office. The design is somewhat professional, which I appreciate. The black/silver finish looks nice in my opinion. Although it is made mostly of plastic, it looks sturdy enough -and is heavy. I did notice that the top front silver part already shows scuffs making it look older than it is. The lid requires a bit of effort to open and close, but this makes it more secure.Using it simple. Either feed it manually from the top or place sheets inside and push a button. In automatic mode, I tried several items such as a small stack of 20 or so, thicker legal paper, fliers, and paper of varying sizes. Then manually I tried empty full size and regular envelopes as well as folded mail. While it is much faster than my older shredder, I thought it took less time than expected. The same goes for noise, as it is slightly quieter. The finished shredded paper comes out very fine and in no way can ever be pieced again, so that's great for security.I also tried shredding a couple of credit cards, thicker envelopes, and even a poster. This shredder had no problems. I tried it for over an hour straight to see when I'd see the overheating notice, but it never came up. The cooling fan seems to be doing its job well.I like the quality-of-life options this shredder offers. The buttons are very visible and are easy to identify, and tell when the device is ready, shredding, jammed, or full. Speaking of space, this can take a lot to be filled.In the end, this is certainly an upgrade from what I had, but it does come at a much higher price tag. If you deal with constant sensitive information that must be securely discarded, this is a no-brainer. For the occasional or casual user, a smaller unit may be best.
Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]