I know ratings are relative, but I love this vinyl cutter. As a point of reference, I have been using a Silhouette Cameo for several years, but it was not compatible with newer versions of Windows that no longer support USB 1.0. It was very loud, but worked well.
The Graphtec CE7000-60 came in two boxes: one for the cutter/plotter and one for the stand. The stand was easy to assemble and the cutter/plotter attached easily. It came with a CD containing the software, but it was very easy to download the software from the Graphtec website. I installed Graphtec Pro Studio as well as the Production Manager software (which I have not really used, yet). I figured out the basics fairly quickly, but I still have a lot to learn. It was similar enough to the Silhouette Studio software we used with the old cutter and didn't take long to start cutting my first job.
Setting the blade depth was a breeze using the included loupe. I'm used to having number settings on the blade plunger, but I think I like having the control the loupe offers. Just a word of caution: set the blade to 0.1mm to start with. I tried to match mine to the Silhouette blade and and scratched the cutting strip as it cut too deep.
Loading the vinyl was extremely easy and the sensors on the tool carriage detect the edge of the media so the cutting position is always accurate. There is a large lever for the pressure rollers to secure the media in place when you are ready. Once positioned, the cutter rolls the media back to the top edge using sensors under the media to accurately position the media. We had troubles keeping the media lined up properly with the Silhouette, even with the attachable roller guide. I haven't done anything too long with the Graphtec yet, but so far it keeps the media lined up much better.
Cutting is very fast and whisper quiet, sweet music compared to the grinding noises a stepper motors on the Silhouette make. I was expecting this to be much quieter, but I am impressed by how quiet it is.
I'm currently using the USB cable to connect to my laptop, but this machine has an ethernet port which I intend to use as soon as I have time. If possible, I will update this review with my experiences with that later.
The only possible down side to this machine is that it only has two pressure rollers. I've only been using 15 inch media at this point and it has not been a problem. Again, I will try to update this review after I have tested with wider media.