I like the take on "One Hour with George Stromboulopoulus."  Reminds me of the Sunday USA News Program "This Week with George Stephanopolis."
 
From the pix, it appears that the dyson DC18 Slim may be a tad top heavy and unsteady in the upright position.  I don't have any personal knowledge and observation so I don't know if that is the case.  Maybe others who do, know its stead worthiness.
 
Carmine D.

4 videos - James Dyson himself demonstrating and discussing his vacuums and how they work.  Year 2002/3?
 
click...
http://www.achooallergy.com/product-videos.asp

5 yr. old Oreck vs. 3 yr. old Dyson DC15 Ball (Dysons weakest model)
Vacuumed aprox. 700 sq. ft. of my neighbors carpet.
...In no way a scientific experiment or perhaps a fair comparision, just an observation.
P.S. Her new Dyson will be arriving soon.

Quote from Carmine_Difazio on 03/24/07 at 1:21pm:

 
Hello,
 
So true… trust but verify.  I loved Ronald Reagan!  He helped our family much when Governor of California.  Our family will be eternally grateful to him.  RIP Mr. President.
 
I did not post it, but 1 week after using my DC15 on my neighbor’s carpet - taking the above picture – I bought a new DC21 Stowaway canister. – Went back to my neighbor’s home and pulled another gob of crap out of her carpets (I tried to vac where I did with the 15 previously).  With that, she said “I’m getting a Dyson”.  I warned her that the Dyson’s were heavier than the Oreck and could not lay down flat like the Oreck.  – She said “I don’t care, I’m getting a Dyson.”
 
As they say in real estate… location, location, location.  Same with vacuum testing… conditions, conditions, conditions.
 
Retail conditions typically mean loooooow, low profile carpet and rugs.  Yes the Oreck is better suited for this task than the DC07 Dyson.  The Orecks mouth will lay flatter and tighter in these conditions allowing a better grip on the carpet.  The 07 Dyson cannot do this.  The Oreck also has the wiper blade that helps to create a tight seal onto carpet.  The 07 Dyson does not have this.  The Orecks have 2 very thin and low profile wheels that sink easily into pile, helping to create a seal onto commercial carpet or rugs.  The 07 Dyson cannot do this. - It has 4 wide snow shoes called wheels that keep it from easily sinking into commercial pile.  There are other conditions that could perhaps have favored Oreck over Dyson as well (new Oreck bag, old dirty premotor filter for Dyson.  No HEPA bag for Oreck, HEPA filter for Dyson).  Orecks entire contents dumped out for all to see.  Fine dust collected by the Dysons cyclones remain stuck to inside of cyclone collection pipe, not retrieved and not viewed).  Reasonable questions I believe.
The commercial or rug conditions favor the Oreck (for now).  But get the 07 Dyson or perhaps better yet - get a Dyson with a dedicated motor to the beater brush DC15, 17 or 21 in a typical home and one gets the results I’ve posted. – Amazing.
 
Poor old Dyson in the PostNet store test - it probably did not stand a chance.
 
I am a David Oreck fan as well as a James Dyson fan.  Oreck creating American jobs is awesome!  But how many more jobs and how many move vacuums could they sell if innovation was king.  With Dyson innovation is king. - A patent search will easily testify to this.
 
Dyson is an inventor and innovator first and a vacuum manufacture second.  It’s just a matter of time before he invents a commercial vacuum (using his digital motor for example) that will probably do some amazing things and yes, bring the weight down too.
 
Sincerely,
No Loss of Suction
 
P.S.  Here is what David Oreck said recently (nothing of innovating or alike)…
http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/03/01/news/news/news17.txt

Hi No Loss,
 
Just for clarification, the picture of the collected dirt is the result of one week's care of 700 square feet of carpeting?  Can you expand on what kind of carpeting it was?  What was the color and age of the carpet and also what is the traffic situation in your neighbor's -- kids, no kids, pets?
 
I will be upfront about this and say that the amount of what you picked up for the area indicated over a week's time with regular cleaning doesn't surprise me much if in an average household. Because what I am to judge from is not actual, I am also curious to learn if I am correct in assuming the larger part of what your showing me is carpet fuzz.  There are a number of other good performing vacuums I can think of  that could have followed both the Dyson and the Oreck and would have picked up a notable amount of the same.  
 
The issue of real cleaning goes beyond getting up "top soil".  Have you checked your neighbor's carpet fibers down at their base.  Find a high traffic area and use your thumbs or fingers to separate the carpet's tufts to learn what's all the way down on the carpet backing.  Little or no dirt and grit will indicate the exercise of a good vacuuming regimen per that household's requirements though it will not necessarily prove a recommendation for a particular vacuum.  If you still find a lot of stuff there, that may well indicate using your vacuum more as opposed to looking for the wonder brand of the day.
 
Regards,
 
Venson