This well built midrange treadmill may be called the Trailrunner 4.0, and it may run Android 2.2, but the Internet portion feels like version 0.95 beta. In other words, it''s a good midrange treadmill with a not-ready-for-prime-time tablet attached to it. I got the Proform as a Gold Box buy for what a comparable treadmill would cost without the Android add-on. The Sole F80 Sole F80 Treadmill (2011 Model) is a probably a better choice if it''s less money. Certainly don''t pay more for the iFit Live features at this point.
PEDIGREE Proform is owned by ICON Health, a larger corporation, like GM, which brands a nearly identical treadmill under different brand names. This one is also sold under the NordicTrack brand name, and maybe others. Proform is probably the Chevy, and NordicTrack is probably the Buick :) I''ve used their equipment in gyms without issue. The idea of this model is to have an Internet connected treadmill with custom workouts and google map charted jogging paths.
SHIPPING Fair arrived 2 weeks after I ordered, and 7 days after Amazon estimated it would. The delivery men will drop it off past the threshold of your front door. I hope you have a strong back, a strong dolly, and perhaps some other moving tools...as with all well built treadmills, this one''s a 400 lb beast. Inside, the treadmill and its parts arrived well packed, well protected, and in good condition. You''ll need a big garbage can, and probably a box knife, to break down the packaging to fit in the trash.
ASSEMBLY Fair Getting the box off was a huge pain, though I think it would be for any treadmill by mail. The lower part of the treadmill is fully assembled; most of the work involves getting the control deck attached. Make sure you have two strong-backed people, a screwdriver, and a medium sized adjustable wrench. You will have to lift the 400lb treadmill at least three times during assembly. All the parts fit together pretty well, with pretty small tolerances. Kudos to Proform for good quality control on the mechanical parts. WARNING: If you live alone, are prone to hernias, or have ANY sort of muscle or joint problems, PAY FOR ASSEMBLY. You can''t order assembly via Amazon, but the treadmill packaging does contain an offer to call in some people. Even if you''re strong, there''s a decidedly unsafe part of the process that involves installing the support strut while the gigantic treadmill is held free-hand over your head. Proform, if you''re reading this, please consider pre-installing this strut at the factory. This last step is an accident waiting to happen, though I''m not sure if any other folding treadmill would be different.
BASIC OPERATION very good When you plug in the machine, it takes about 30 seconds to boot the Android operating system.
It plays a very well produced infomercial on how wonderful your new treadmill is. Plugging in the magnetic safety key shuts it up. (don''t lose it, or you won''t be able to use the treadmill)
BUILD QUALITY very good
Build quality is well above average, and certainly competitive for its price range. The unit does not flex or vibrate very easily. It feels solid under your feet, but the thud-thud sound of your shoes isn''t muted like it is on the $3,000 Precor machines. But for a folding treadmill in this price class, it''s darned good.
The motor is reasonably quiet, and the 3.8hp rating is higher than most at this price. Treadmill belt has good traction. The belt has slightly rough edges, which don''t affect performance, but also don''t compare well against more expensive machines. Rollers are larger than average, which should increase longevity. There''s adjustable cushioning. My gimpy knees did fine on a light 30 minute run.
Large one touch buttons for speed and incline allow quick adjustments. Inexplicably, they do not work unless you are already running. On other treadmill models, such as Horizon, AFG, and even lower end proform models, these same buttons work at any time; you can hit the 5mph button from a stop and immediately start running.
The big 10" touchscreen is great for basic operation: Tap go, and a very nice display lets you run in manual mode. The touchscreen controls work great in the basic running modes, where the buttons are large and easy to read. The information displays are top notch, though I wish they had a way to cycle through screens automatically. The display is big, bright and easy to read. If you are 5''10 like me, viewing angles are great. If you are 5''2" like my wife, the screen washes out. Proform obviously opted for a cheaper TN panel, rather than the wider angle IPS panel on the iPAD and other nicer tablets.
Unlike most Android phones and tablets, the screen does not appear to cycle off to save power. The off switch is inconveniently located at the bottom front of the treadmill. (for safety reasons, I don''t think ANY treadmill has a convenient power switch)
Sound quality of the built in speakers is fair, fitting somewhere between a good laptop and a bad boombox. You''re not going to rock the house with these, but more than acceptable while jogging. There is an easy to use 3.5mm "aux-in" and an included cable to plug in any mp3 player. The stickers say "iPod compatible", but this aux-in is not as well integrated as other treadmills which include the proprietary Apple dock connector and integrated music controls. (I bet that incurs a hefty Apple licensing fee, which is why it isn''t here) Besides, Apple changes their docking plugs every year, anyway.
ADVANCED OPERATION Poor Frustrating, especially since the problems are easy to fix.
Speaking of Apple, I hate their corporate culture, and I refuse to buy their products. However, they didn''t sell a zillion iPads and iPhones making bad product. A two year old can figure out an iPad, and millions of non-tech people happily consume iPhones. You don''t need manuals to run most Apple products to most of their potential. I should also say that I''m an Android fanatic, and that had a part in my choosing this treadmill. I have the original Motorola Droid, and I have it customized and hacked to it''s utmost. So I''m no stranger to electronics.
There''s no way on earth a non-technical user would ever figure this machine out. Basic menus are too basic, and configuration is difficult to find. There''s no initial setup wizard. The product manual could be written better; it seems to expect you to jump to page 27 for this, then remember to come back to page 4 for that. Again, from a product design perspective, well designed products should not require the manual for at least 80% of their functionality...and most other treadmills succeed in this regard. Setting up wireless was relatively simple...once I found it...and once I managed to get my fricking password typed in.
This exposes you to the single greatest failure of the product: the lousy resistive touchscreen. Typing is aggravatingly inaccurate, even with the treadmill at 0mph. The letters are gigantic compared to a phone, but nowhere near as precise. You either press one letter lightly and get the next letter over, or you can push hard and get the correct letter twice. The delete button works about one fourth of the time. Unlike what the paid shill reviewers have said, pushing hard or soft doesn''t improve the accuracy. It took me an eternity to enter a 14 character wireless password. Registering for the iLive account (which requires entering a 16 digit alphanumeric code) was even more frustrating. Do yourself a favor and register the iFit account on the website using your desktop or laptop. Pick a short username and password, because you still have to put it into the treadmill at least once.
Proform''s manual says to calibrate the touchscreen. I did manage to find the two separate calibrator programs. The first is relatively easy to find in the configuration menu. The second is on the Android desktop in the app drawer to the right. No way a non-techie person would find these. The improvement was marginal; it''s still far worse than any phone or tablet I''ve used so far. Leagues away from the standard that non-technical people have come to expect from the capacitive touchscreens in iPhones, iPads, and pretty much all recent smartphones. You can make it tolerable by using a pencil eraser instead of your finger. For your safety, I would only use the eraser head of an unsharpened pencil, and even then, only when the treadmill is parked.
BROWSER Poor
Even after I updated the firmware (which has warnings about known bugs) and calibrated the touchscreen (both of which are tricky to find), the browsing experience is simply does not live up to Proform''s video hype.
As previously mentioned, the resistive touchscreen is pitifully poor. Entering web addresses is frustrating and inaccurate. Multi-touch pinch to zoom is not supported, meaning that this could be a lower cost resistive touchscreen. Half the time when you are trying to scroll, it clicks links instead. The stock Android browser isn''t as fast as your modern 1GHz smartphone or tablet. There is no apparent way to create your own custom bookmarks, though the Android browser does auto-remember your history. Android fanatics, you''ll probably recognize the browser as the stock 2.2 browser. Because Icon cheaped out and put in a resistive touchscren, pinch to zoom doesn''t work, nor does scrolling about a fourth of the time. Just frustrating, especially since spending $20-50 more for a quality capacitive touchscreen overlay is all it would take to make this a much better product. Shame on you, Icon Health, especially since this product debuted with a $3,000 MSRP, and sells for $1700 street. If this wasn''t attached to the treadmill, this would be equivalent to the chintzy $150 tablet at KMart.
You can make everything better with a touchscreen stylus, (or the aforementioned pencil eraser) but I have some safety concerns about using anything but your fingers on a moving treadmill.
You can access the browser from almost any screen, but realistically, it''s only marginally safe to use it at the minimum speed of 1 mph. Don''t even try to use this finicky beast while walking fast, let alone jogging or running. Youtube and Dailymotion are pre-bookmarked, but it''s not really practical to watch videos while exercising. Video quality is the Android default 320p, which is to say grainy and barely watchable. If you''re always on wifi, shouldn''t you make it default to at least 480p quality?
Facebook is bookmarked. Even if you manage to get your password in correctly, you still will have a hard time simply scrolling up and down the touch version of the facebook site. Nothing to do with Facebook, everything to do with the lousy touchscreen. Good luck posting unless the treadmill is parked. If you are so hard up on internet devices, that you need this treadmill for Facebook, buy a cheaper treadmill and a Nook Color for $250. You''ll be much happier.
Yahoo music is included, but as soon as you switch back to the treadmill display, the music cuts off.
Android''s stock launcher screen is hidden from normal view, though you can find it under "Anroid Desktop" in the configuration menus. There is no way to install Android apps, as Android Market is missing. I haven''t tried the developer''s sidedoor (ADB) to install apps, but frankly, playing Angry Birds while jogging probably isn''t a good idea, anyway.
CUSTOM WORKOUTS WITH GOOGLE MAPS Fair
This is the feature that really got my attention in the promo videos. Set up your run on google maps, and it will provide incline and street view photographs as you go.
When you try to download an iFit workout, it just sits at 0% forever, or says "no workouts available." Turns out you have to set them up on the web browser (do yourself a solid and set it up on your laptop), then download those workouts from the treadmill. (suggestion to Proform: when you create your custom workouts, and it should "push" to the treadmill automatically) Creating a custom map route isn''t difficult on the desktop, once you figure it out. Don''t even try to set up anything on the treadmill browser; the drunken touchscreen is too frustrating.
This is NOT an intuitive process. You have to log in to the iFit Live website (preferably on your laptop) and create your route there. There are some interesting pre-set routes there. Drawing a custom route isn''t too hard, just click on point A, point B (and more if necessary) to make your route. Once you''ve added them to your schedule (kind of like a Netflix queue), you have to go back to the treadmill, click on iFit Live, and click to download them to the treadmill. Of note, you MUST run the first route on your schedule no matter what; you cannot choose from your routes on the treadmill. The workaround is to arrange the order on the website before you go on the treadmill to download them. Proform, this could be improved without making the product more expensive.
Just as promised, you can look at a google map or better, yet, streetview photographs as you''re running. The photographs refresh about every 5-10 seconds. Image quality could be better, and you can''t pan and scan around. (not that you probably should while running). It''s better than staring at red LED dots, but it''s not nearly as crystal clear as Streetview appears on your PC or Mac.
CUSTOM WORKOUT PLANS Fair
You can download these from the iFit website. Just like the Google maps routes, you queue them up on the website, then walk over to the treadmill and download them. Also like the map routes, you can only run the first one in the queue. As an added bonus, the voice of Jillian Michaels narrates along every minute or so. (volume buttons are easy to reach if you aren''t a Biggest Loser fan). She seems to be more peppy than angry, but may that''s because I weigh less than the treadmill''s 350lb maximum capacity. What''s also unclear is how much iFitLive will cost after the one year membership is over, and what features disappear if you decide not to renew it.
HEART RATE MONITOR Fair
Don''t bother; it''s so erratic, I didn''t bother checking it against my Polar strap. Moist hands do help with these contact sensors. It does not have a wireless sensor for heart rate monitors. (that''s in the $2,000 treadmill club) There aren''t any heart rate control programs on the treadmill, anyway. To be fair, most contact sensors don''t work well for me, either...heart rate straps are still the most accurate way. (outside of EKGs)
OVERALL RATING Good, but just barely
Decent treadmill overall if it goes on sale. Otherwise, consider comparable models for less money without the Android browser, and buy yourself a nook color or iPad with the difference. Or if you''re feeling lucky, use it with a touchscreen stylus.
Build quality: 4 stars
Basic Workouts: 4 stars
iFit Live: 2 stars
Google Maps: 2 stars
Browser: 1 star
Overall: 3 stars, but just barely. EDIT: Now 2 stars, read below.
SUGGESTIONS FOR ICON HEALTH/ PROFORM:
Spend some extra dimes on a capacitive touchscreen, and give it a panel with wider viewing angles for short people.
Make the workouts selectable from the machine.
Make the product easier to use.
Clearly label the advanced menu icons in the lower right.
Put the support strut in at the factory.
Make the product less expensive, as is the treadmill is probably a decent value for $1300, and a winner at $1100. It''s a fair deal at $1700, and a "Biggest Loser" at the original $3000 MSRP.
ADDENDUM 02-19-2011:
TECH SUPPORT:
I appear to be one of the lucky ones, as my machine pretty much worked out of the box, with a little tweaking. So I didn''t have to call tech support. I really doubt that Pro-Form is set up to support the Android part of the product, and I doubt iFit is set up to support a treadmill. I don''t have any confidence in tech support from ANYONE I''ve purchased a consumer product from, and given they couldn''t design it right, I doubt that they can support it right, either.
GETTING STARTED:
A couple of tips if you decide to get this, which will make the treadmill work a bit better.
When you first get it, tap the little button in the lower right, and then tap the wireless network setup.
After you get wifi working (hopefully), click the little button in the lower right twice to get into the hardware config menu.
Run the firmware update. It took me a couple of tries for it to connect successfully, could be a slow server.
Reboot Android. (or just turn the whole machine off and on)
Run the screen calibrator, using a rubber eraser head of a pencil
Go to the Android Desktop, tap the menu on the very right edge of the screen. When the programs pop out, pick the Screen Calibrator and run that one, too.
Calibrate the incline.
Does this sound user friendly? NO!
TREADMILL STALLING BUG:
Very often, you hit Start to run a program, and the treadmill motor doesn''t start. Actually, it almost NEVER starts, not with the programs, and not on the manual mode. You have to hit the big red STOP button, then tap RESUME on the screen, and THEN starts to go. The quick set incline and speed buttons will not work unless the motor is running. The first time it happened, I shrugged it off. But now that it happens every time, I''m starting to get pissed. Not quite enough to take it apart and return it, but getting really close.
YAHOO MUSIC:
It''s an entertaining diversion, but as mentioned before, once you enter the browser (I do it with my feet parked on the sides), you cannot return to the the treadmill software without cutting off the music. Thankfully, the speed and incline buttons still work in the web browser mode. Also, the buttons to change stations don''t work reliably. It seems like they tried to implement flash on the music site, and Android can''t really do flash with a bottom-of-the-barrel-CPU. Heck, you can''t scroll up and down without the music cutting and stalling. I think you''re better off starting Pandora on your smartphone and plugging it into the aux-in jack (which does work as it should), or an mp3 player.
POWER SWITCH:
After using it every time for a week, it''s starting to get annoying. The switch feels really cheap and flimsy, and I''m afraid that it won''t last. I''m probably going to go pick up a surge protector with its own on off floor switch.
REVISED OVERALL RATING: 2 Stars....I''m sorry, but I''m starting to feel I overpaid for this. The treadmill is good, but I really wish I had listened to everyone else and bought a Sole or Horizon machine instead. My wife still likes it; she just hits the basic presets and starts running. As soon as you use it beyond the most basic treadmill functionality, you''ll start to get frustrated. As I said, it''s a four star treadmill bolted to a one star control panel.
I would be reluctant to recommend this product to anyone without serious computer know how...and nerdy people don''t always have the strong backs required to assemble it. If you can get it for around $1,000, and only use the basic presets, you''ll be happy. You can do that easily...by buying a different treadmill.
Yes, I see all the one-star reviews. Therefore, I plan to update this post frequently. While the ProForm may be running flawlessly today, it may flatline tomorrow. So, know that I am here to be objective and to help anyone thinking about buying this product (see my other reviews and know that I am a very frank reviewer). As of today, here is my experience (down to the delivery!):
-Delivery: A nightmare. The treadmill was shipped via Home Delivery. They were late for their first delivery (scheduled for "sometime between 7:00AM and 11:00 AM") and thus missed us (we both teach at a university and cannot skip a class because of a late delivery). Now, I informed them that they we teach and could not wait after 11:00AM, I guess they thought we were not serious. When I called to reschedule, the delivery company was rude and redirected me to a Home Direct representative. When the Home Direct rep called the delivery people, they hung up on her twice. Good god. They rescheduled for days later (this time between 1:00PM and 5:00PM ... they showed up around 5:45PM and we had to cancel our dinner reservations). The delivery men were incensed that the treadmill was for a second floor work-out room ... and though they got it upstairs (with the assistance of my significant other), they plopped it in the hallway: all 350 pounds of it. Needless to say, moving it was an epic chore. Maybe your experience will be better, but I would rank it as equal to dealing with the "cable company." And, though you would think that ordering this expensive machine would earn one some "white glove treatment," the fact of the matter is they they regarded us with disdain (as though we were causing them undue aggravation). Exhausting.
-Assembly: While it has very few pieces to assemble, the sheer strength required is daunting. This thing is a bear!!!! Though it took us no more than ninety-minutes to put it together, they were a hard-fought ninety. My earnest opinion is that ProForm made this as easy as possible for the customer (by having as few pieces as humanly possible). It is a massive, massive machine and it requires some physical effort to assemble it. (Read: this is a two-person job -AT LEAST!!) The good news? There was not one single "glitch" or error ... the treadmill was brought online and fully functional on the first try. Simple as that. Nice, right? (Follow all directions to the letter and you should experience similarly positive results.)
-Operations: The belt is wide. This is very much welcome in comparison to some of the narrower belts we have experienced -it''s a bit more luxurious. The ProForm experience is very smooth and it absorbs shock well. My better-half was at a full-run for a sustained period had no issues with shock. Likewise, we were both surprised at how quiet the motor is! We have all used "loud" treadmills in the gym, but this one is much more quiet than ever expected. (When I am in the hallway with the door closed, I cannot even hear it! Ditto for when I am downstairs beneath it.) It has up to a 15% incline (6% is as high as I have ventured thus far ... and that alone was smooth and challenging). It runs up to twelve m.p.h. (I have only taken it to seven ... that was also very smooth and challenging). Now, I am having a little difficulty getting a consistent reading with the heart monitor. Currently, it is jumping all over! I have a feeling with a little more practice and reading, I will understand what I''m doing wrong. (I will update this once I figure out if it is my fault or an innate inconsistency with the machine. Right now, I assume it is my fault). Additionally, the touch-screen seems a little hinky right now (nothing like the sensitivity or the accuracy of the iPod Touch.) It seems I have to touch a little below each character ... I''m going to see if I can adjust the alignment a bit. (I will report back with my results). Even still, it does work!
-iPod feature: It would have been optimal to have a little dock on the front (maybe where the book-rest is), but that it exists at all is pretty neat. Basically, you plug the iPod into the side of the console and set it in the cup-holder area (There are two cup-holders, so it''s not taking up the only designated space for one''s water-bottle. No worries there!). It plays through the console-speakers (which are "nice-enough").
-iFit feature: The treadmill comes with a free, one-year subscription to iFit. In the stack of paperwork, you will find an iFit flier -don''t toss it! It has your membership code on it. It am still tinkering with all the exciting aspects of this option, but here''s what I''ve accomplished so far. It was raining today, so I plotted my usual route on iFit.com. Then, I went over to the treadmill. It was there! And, with Google Earth, I could literally see what I usually see out for my daily run ... the tree-lined roads, the dry-cleaner, the bagel-shoppe, everything! One can see it from an aerial-view or from a first-person perspective. Very cool. Additionally, one can choose what regimen works best for one''s goals. There is 1.) weight loss, 2.) get fit, 3.) power walking. and 4.) performance. The work-outs are progressive and customized to the needs you select. Oh, did I mention that you can choose Jillian Michaels as your trainer?! (Love her!) I have completed two of the work-outs so far ... they are exactly challenging enough! Both had great, effective cool-downs! (There will be more to come as I experiment with this feature!)
Thus far, the Pro-Form is an amazing machine -and, now I cannot picture my life without it. One can make these work-outs intense and the machine can handle it! The web-features and the iFit program are an absolute boon. Thus far, my experience has been wholly positive (especially as I move farther from the delivery fiasco). I will report back here often I discover new features, make adjustments, or experience problems. Good luck in your search for the perfect treadmill (though, this may very well be exactly that!!)
Buy Proform Trailrunner 4.0 Treadmill Now
I''ve been using this treadmill for about six weeks now and these are the things you should know when deciding whether to buy this treadmill.
DELIVERY:
It took approximately three weeks to arrive after I ordered it from Amazon.
When it was delivered it was literally strapped to a huge pallet. It was so big they couldn''t get it in the house. It''s possible the delivery guys just didn''t WANT to get it in the house, but I was in agreement because I didn''t really want the dirty pallet inside anyways. So I had them put it in the middle of my garage and we unpacked it and assembled it there. This wasn''t a big deal for me because I live in a house, but if I were in an apartment it would have presented a bigger problem.
ASSEMBLY:
My husband didn''t have any trouble assembling it. He did it by himself and didn''t require any help from me except to support a couple pieces while he screwed them in.
It required a trip to the dump when he was done because there was so much excess packaging with the wood pallet etc. This meant another week or two of my garage being inaccessible because he didn''t go right away. That was a pain, but not the treadmill''s fault.
Even though this thing is gigantic and very heavy, we were able to get it in the house using the wheels on the bottom. It was big and awkward but not unmanageable. We did have to flip through the manual to figure out how we were supposed to move it, but the instructions were in there.
STARTUP:
Just getting it turned on was a major undertaking. The little red key, which is vital to the treadmill''s function, was tucked in the plastic bag with the manual and I didn''t find it right away. Silly me, thinking I could turn it on and use the treadmill without reading the manual first.
Wrong.
Reading the manual for this thing is an absolute must because the menus are confusing and frequently feel like a dead end. I didn''t read all the pamphlets that came with the treadmill until I couldn''t figure out how to work the darn thing. After reading them I realized I was doing several things wrong and was worried I had broken it already. You shouldn''t have to worry about breaking a heavy piece of machinery like that just from using it without downloading the latest firmware.
This thing is the opposite of intuitive. I had to read every page of the manual before I could even navigate, and I consider myself to be fairly technologically savvy. I design blogs, I can run a dSLR camera, and I love my computer and smart phone. It should not have been so difficult to navigate around the Android interface. Even after six weeks of using this thing it still feels really clunky and awkward to navigate.
SURGE PROTECTOR NOT INCLUDED:
You have to buy your own surge protector, since it doesn''t come with one, to ground the treadmill or it will blow out your circuit. Ask me, and my defrosted subzero freezer, how I know. If it is so vital to the treadmill''s function, this piece should have been included, especially when you are paying so much for the machine.
OPERATION:
Once I finally got my wireless connected, used my laptop to set up my iFit account (no way was I going to use the touch screen to do it, that would have taken forever) and got the firmware updated, all of which took a couple of hours over the course of two days, I finally got to try the treadmill.
The built-in integration with iFit.com is very, VERY cool (when it works). I love having access to pre-progammed workouts from Jillian Michaels and Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and the ability to adjust them to be harder or easier. I like that it takes you through progressive workouts with a different routine every day. The workouts are designed to give you interval training and they seem to be well thought out. This is the biggest selling point of the treadmill for me.
Unfortunately, this program seems to be extremely glitchy and there have been several mornings I got up, got dressed in my running shoes, psyched myself up for a great workout and got on only to stand there for 15+ minutes trying in vain to get it to download the iFit workout. My wireless signal was good and the green iFit light was lit on the treadmill, so there is no logical reason for it not to have worked. It just froze forever on the download screen and never went anywhere. Several times this has happened to me, and when it does there seems to be nothing I can do about it except give up and try again the next day. The next day, again for no explicable reason, iFit will (sometimes) suddenly work again.
Considering that this is the feature I am most interested in using, it''s extremely frustrating that it is so unreliable.
There have also been times where the program did download completely, but when the program started the belt on the treadmill didn''t move at all. Pausing the program and then pressing resume seemed to "wake it up" but it was just another reminder that this thing has a mind of its own.
The built-in programs on the treadmill are challenging and there are quite a few of them that can be used without a wireless connection, which is good because you can''t count on iFit for your workout.
The ''built in web browser'' is pretty sad and virtually unusable when you''re going more than 2.2 MPH. Even after calibrating the touchscreen I have a hard time typing anything into it. It doesn''t support any websites with video, so you can forget about watching Netflix or Hulu, which was something I looked forward to doing. This was the one feature that I was sure would set it apart from my old boring non-web-browser treadmill. I guess you could scroll through Facebook or a news website, but it''s pretty tedious and hard to do while running, or even walking fast. I eventually went back to doing what I do on all the plain jane treadmills at the gym: reading a book or watching netflix on my iPhone. I don''t count on the treadmill to entertain me at all.
BODY:
This is a solid machine. Nice and wide and runs fairly quietly. I have it in a room directly above my son''s room and I never wake him up when I use it. My old Norditrack treadmill had to be moved to the basement because it shook the whole house when we had it upstairs. This one doesn''t do that.
The buttons to change the incline, speed, and volume are all big and easy to find.
It''s sturdy, and although very heavy it can be moved by one person.
It has a much steeper maximum incline (15%) and a higher maximum speed than my old Norditrack treadmill or the ones I use at the gym. I doubt that I will ever need it to go 12 MPH, but it can.
I wish there was a fan built in. This is a feature on my cheaper treadmill that I really enjoy.
The book shelf works great and will keep my book held firmly in place or provides a nice ledge for my Kindle or iPhone to sit on.
OVERALL IMPRESSION:
My biggest complaint with this treadmill is that it is unreliable. Sometimes it connects with iFit no problem, and other days it gets ''stuck'' searching for the connection and never gets there. There is absolutely nothing you can do to shock the treadmill into behaving. The wireless either works or it doesn''t. If the touchscreen freezes or just decides to stop working, there isn''t a whole heck of a lot you can do about it.
I still don''t know how to turn the darn thing off because the instructions in the manual are a little unclear. They seem to want me to completely unplug it from the power source, but then it seems to forget all my information and it takes twice as long to get going in the morning.
I was given one of these treadmills in exchange for an honest review, and as much as I wanted to love it, I just don''t. I use it and I like it, but mostly because it was free. I think if I had paid big bucks for it I would have been sorely disappointed in how glitchy it is, and I would most likely be trying to get my money back. If you''re wanting a good sturdy treadmill that you can control manually, there are cheaper ones out there that will do that. If you''re looking to use iFit workouts, you do get a free year of it with the purchase of this machine, but it''s unreliable and frustrating when it doesn''t work. If you''re looking for a treadmill that can surf the internet and let you watch movies while you''re on it, keep looking. This one isn''t quite there.
So I guess my overall impression is that there are a few things I like but the overall experience has been frustrating and tedious. I wouldn''t recommend this treadmill to a friend.
UPDATE*****
I''ve now been using this treadmill for almost a year and I thought I''d give an update.
After switching internet companies and getting a new wireless router, the reliability did improve. I can usually connect to iFit without problem, although it does still occasionally refuse to download my workout and no amount of pleading will persuade it. On those days it''s best to just shut it off and walk away, hoping for better luck the next day.
Aside from that, my biggest complaint with this treadmill is that it does not allow you to program any custom routines. I would love to input the walk/jog sequences for Couch to 5K and then use my iPhone to watch Netflix, but I''m unable to do that. The relationship between Proform and iFit has pretty much guaranteed that you will have to buy a membership with iFit in order to not get bored with your routines. I find that extremely annoying.
One year later, I still give it two stars.
Read Best Reviews of Proform Trailrunner 4.0 Treadmill Here
Even though I love gadgets and computers, I find it ridiculous and frustrating that nowadays everything, from TVs to refridgerators to pacemakers, runs some sort of computer operating system, from Linux to Windows CE to others. This has resulted in TVs and DVD players, for example, being increasingly difficult to use and beign increasingly non-responsive to user input. This treadmill is another example.
The hardware of this Proform (made by the same company that makes pretty all the consumer treadmills in the U.S., under many different brands) is solid. It''s really heavy. I hired two strong guys to help me and it was still a royal pain for the three of us strong people to assemble it. This is a treadmill, unlike the inexpensive ones sold at sporting goods stores, that will withstand a lot of abuse and use and whatnot.
Unfortunately, this treadmill relies on an operating system, specifically the Android system based on Linux. I''m feeling my blood pressure rising as I type this, because Android has made this treadmill impossible to use. It crashes frequently, it would not boot up sometimes, and, most baneful of all, it''s really, really, really slow. I''d press a button and get no response after 5 seconds. I''d never be sure if it registered my press or not. The Google map feature is a complete joke. It requires a very strong 802.11g/n WiFi signal, which I do have, and it updates the street view every 5-10 seconds, which you can see is ridiculously low for a refresh rate. I''d often see a (fuzzy) picture of the beginning of a street block and the next update shows me the end of the block. Most of the pictures -I''ve "run" in different cities arond the country -are fuzzy and very low resolution.
Problems with the Android system makes this treadmill a pain to use, even after I stopped using the street view feature long ago. I now just use it as a basic treadmill. As a matter of fact, I''m afraid to use the rest of the Android system. Video streaming never worked for me, at all. You cannot install 3rd-party apps. It just seems that touching anything beyond the workout controls can crash the system. The LCD touchscreen is also not very bright and it appears to be of the older, cheaper resistive type, not the more natural capacitive type, so it often does not register a swipe or flick, or even a tap.
Late last year I saw a similar model for sale at my local Costco warehouse, for less than half of the street price here. It may be a good buy at that price, provided you stay away from using any of the tablet features. Just use it for workouts. I installed a Vizio TV hooked up to a Toshiba wifi Blu-ray player in front of the treadmill (got both for under 250 at Costco), and I can now exercise without worrying about things not working.
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After seeing this on Amazon''s deal of the day, I purchased it. We had been looking at the Sole treadsmills, but, when this was $700.00 cheaper it felt like a no-brainer. Wow was I wrong. After assembly it took forever to just turn on, at least 15 minutes after I tried turning it on. Then I went to imput the i-fit code and it would not work. So I did a quick 10 minute walk to check it out I thought it was ok. The next morning I tried to do a real workout but it would not turn on period. I was on hold with Proforms service forever, then the tech told me to check to see if it was plugged in, are you kidding. They had no idea what was wrong. I did however get that workout taking it back apart and repacking it. You get what you pay for I quess. I thought $1300 would get me a working treadmill, but I was wrong. Great Amazon service though, one phone call and instantly got a return. Thanks Amazon, shame on Proform. Stay away.
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My favorite water bottle yet still Disappointed!
