I have had diabetes for 11 years, and those years have included lots of finger sticks.  I am now on 4 times a day testing and injections.  I need something reliable, fast, and easy to use to do my testing on the go.  This monitor fits the bill for me.  The strips require a small sample, and have a notched tip that draws the blood in for testing.  This is easier than having to get the blood to drop in a certain spot.  I can keep my history in there, and download it at my endocrinologist office.  There, I get graphs and printouts to help me see if there are patterns I can change.