Well, I had this for a few weeks, so I can't speak for some of the complaints, but I do use this in combination with Endicia to ship packages off and it works very well. Before this, I had multiple Zebra 2844.For those who ship a lot, the Zebra 2844 (EPL) is the standard with most 4x6 labels made for it. It retails for $100-200 more than this machine, but is available ubiquitously used on ebay in the sub-$100 range. Once you get them up and running, they often print without fail.However, the 2844's are a complete pain in the behind to set-up. We're talking playing with settings and inconsistent software from the manufacturer itself. Sometimes I d/l 3-4 software packages before the 2844 even responded at all, let alone correctly. All this wouldn't be so bad except on my Windows Desktop, if I so much as unplugged the usb cord to the computer for whatever reason (say I was moving it), and replugged it 5 minutes later in the very same USB slot, the computer wouldn't remember the printer at all, and the nightmarish set-up process would begin anew. Not acceptable. Maybe this was because the 2844 accepted parallel and serial port input as well, and USB was an afterthought in the design? Whatever the reason, it's very plug-and-play unfriendly. Also, when the computer went to sleep, the unit needed to be restarted or it would fail to respond. The third defect was that everytime I printed out a shipping label, between 1 and 7 blank labels followed. This wasn't always the case, but it was when I had to reinstall the driver and I could never figure it out. I experienced these defects on both a 2004 and 2007 manufactured 2844, so I would say these aren't random issues.A while back, I got a notebook that replaced my desktop, I would move around, so plugging and unplugging the USB cords became a fact of life, so enter the 4XL. I always liked dymo's smaller models, they just worked, and this one was no different. You first install the very friendly software (whether d/led or from CD) and then any of their printers and the computer recognizes it without hesitation. I can plug my older Labelwriter 400 or my new 4XL or both and there will be no problems, whether the dymo label software is actively running or not (I use endicia instead). It prints without problem. I never had it jam. Can't say much more about it.As to any jamming, I would recommend when installing any new rolls of labels that are sealed at the end with adhesive tape, thow away the labels the tape was on so any adhesive residue never enters the mechanism. That may be a source of the problem people are experiencing.As for fading, this is a thermal printer and inherent to all thermal printers. Think of receipts as well that fade, as many are of the same technology. However, a nice dark print comes out of this that will last longer than those cheap receipts, so I have no fear shipping items, however long, long term labels for household items may require a second thought. They are affected by direct sunlight the most. Look up thermal printers in wikipedia for more info.If I had a complaint, it's the cost of the rolls. Dymo is ridiculously expensive, wanting nearly $0.16 a label. Although 4x6 labels are an industry standard with many makers, the dymo labels are slightly different with a oblong hole between each label, perhaps telling the printer where to stop. I'm not sure. I still have the zebra labels, but I haven't had a chance to see if they worked in this machine. Dymo warns you not to use any 3rd party labels, but that's because of profit motive.However, I see 3rd party compatible labels for this machine at a well known site called labelvalue. An excellent site, I got my zebra labels there for $0.051 (5.1 cents) a label. The dymo compatible labels are much cheaper than the "real thing" at $0.086 (8.6 cents) a label. For a small time operation, not a big difference. Figuring that I was throwing away 1-7 labels on the zebra per print, I still come out ahead.I just have a small business and ship a dozen items a day. The dymo serves me well. If you ship day and night, and have a desktop dedicated to shipping (where the cords will absolutely never be touched), a zebra may be better, sturdier and cheaper in the long haul.