"it is a lot of trouble (I've had to replace it 3 times so far)."
I've had trouble with my Accu-Chek Compact meter as well -- the on/off button is a bit flakey and someties refuses to work and the general fit and finish of the thing doesn;t inspire confidence.
Also the SoftClix finger prickers seem to work loose after a while and so teh depth setting changes. My normal depth setting is 1.5 but my first two now work at 0.5.
I only stick with it as the 17 strip drum thing is so much less hassle than separate strips.
"but I had to pay $80.00 (U.S.) for the darn thing"
Is it gold plated or something?
Although free to diabetics Accu-Chek Compacts are £17 (about £26 US) in the UK.
