The Good: it makes a dandy espresso. Gorgous crema. You won't be able to put a tall cup or shotglass under the portafilter, but the clearance is about right for demitasse. It's held up fairly well over time -- nothing has gone wrong with it at all, but I haven't exactly abused it, either. It sells for a very reasonable price and takes up only a little  of your counter.

The Not-So-Good: It's LOUD. It's got a weird little attachment that's supposed to make frothing easier but actually just makes cleaning harder. Its steaming wand has the oomph of an anemic earthworm; it takes forever, and is worthless unless your steam pitcher is a small one. I've actually considered buying a cheap pressure machine just to steam milk. I mostly drink straight espresso, though, so I've lived with it.

I've had this machine since 1996, during which time it's seen use that's been sometimes heavy, sometimes light, probably averaging about 20 cups a week over those years. The pump is so loud you'll be afraid it'll wake the neighbors, and you'll want to leave the hinged cover on the top open, or its rattling will make the machine sound like it's coming apart. Despite this, the Lido is actually fairly pleasant to use. The portafilter design gives you a good crema without being too picky about the grind; most grinds between commecial-fine and cone-filter level will give a passable espresso. Overall, it's probably the nicest machine I've seen in the price range; you just need to realize you can't get it all if you're going for the low-price spread.

I found a pump machine for about $100. I had about $100. I paid for it and took it home. Thus endeth the buying experience.