Like all things in life styling, decorating, clothes, cars, colors and appliances go through change and trends. I am always open for change but most changes in manufacturing of vacuums ( not to mention most items) have been not up to par. The trend today is battery operated vacuums. They do not have sufficient power for long. As soon as you take them off the charger the power starts to go down. They are good for quick pick up not deep cleaning. They also have many many problems with their chargers and batteries. However; there are quality battery operated machines out there. Just not in the Big Box store world. Another trend is the vacuum that has a long wand with a small motor up top and a small power head on the bottom. These again are good for quick pick up. They are not deep cleaners due to the poor design of the power-head, the bottom plate and the suction. When you feel the suction it is through the small diameter long wand and it feels strong. It is not dispersed correctly at the power foot making it insufficient for great cleaning unless you just have bare floor. The import vacuum world is using such brittle cheap plastic for most brands. I could go on  but I will end in saying-Visit your independent vacuum dealer. They offer a choice of better quality machines. Not pricier just better quality for the budget yo have in mind.