[mooncat]

I got a freebie a couple of days ago, and I am one happy camper, comparing the Presto to the OneTouch Ultras I've been using.

Pros:
Teeny amount of blood needed.
Blood sucks/zips into test strip easily,
Seems quite accurate.
Small and feather-light.
Seems faster on results than the Ultras too, though that could just be my imagination.
Test strips can be found online $20-22 for 50, $42 for 100.
Has software and dowload cables available and seems to offer the same basic charts and averages as the Ultras.

Cons:
You can't just walk into any pharmacy and get the test strips. You can get them at *some* Wal-Marts, not all. Some Wal-Marts will order them for you. [This may not seem like a big deal if you live in an area with tons of Wal-Marts, but there is exactly one within 10 miles of me, the rest of them are almost 20 miles from me.] My local CVS can order them for me. You can order them online at several places, including Amazon.com. I must say that Agametrix customer service was extremely helpful in finding me nearby places to get strips.

Compared to the Ultras - OMG - I hardly have to use any blood, absolutely NO chance of not having enough - and the test doesn't start until the strip is full, so in the very unlikely event you didn't have enough blood you could just stick yourself again and fill up the strip. And noooo sticking-together strips either, hehehe! The case is smaller than my UltraSmart and may be the same size or even a tiny bit smaller than the Ultra-Mini case.

Another con - but maybe it isn't really - the Presto and the Jazz, their new one, use different test strips, so if you wanted one at home and one with you, they'd both have to be the same type of meter unless money was no object.

I am so happy with the Presto that I immediately started thinking about the Jazz, but as far as I can tell by looking on the Wavesense/Agametrix website, there is virtually no difference between the Presto and the Jazz as far as what they do, how they do it and the basic information they give you, i.e. I see no advantage in having the Jazz other than that it is newer. Also, the test strips for the Jazz seem to cost twice as much as the Presto strips - and the ONLY place you can get the Jazz strips is from Wavesense Direct or one other online store (which is basically the same thing, as even if you order from Direct, the strips are shipped from the other company's website). I had thought I would be willing to go the extra PITA mile for the Jazz, but now I think I'd be just as happy with two Prestos. I can't think of any reason why they created the Jazz, unless it was to collect extra $$ on the more expensive test strips. It may have one or two little 'extras' the Presto doesn't have, but certainly nothing that caught my attention as being worth bothering about. They market the Prestos to the Medicare or uninsured patients and the Jazz to those with insurance. I could have Jazz supplies covered by my insurance, but I don't see a reason at this point to use the Jazz over the Presto.

I've got to say, though, that after using it for two days, I'm ready to give up on the Ultras and become a Presto Girl.