Yes, you are right - there are a lot of "deals" out there. More than the machine itself, you need to understand the difference in treatments. Some offices will do a full hair removal treatment for the legs in 15 or 20 minutes with no topical creams. In an office with a great deal of practice and good protocol, this treatment can take upwards of 60-75 minutes or more and include numbing cream and post care product applications. Good hair removal machines are those in physician's offices, as physicians have the ability to purchase more high powered lasers than spas or salons. Good machines are those made by Cutera, Syneron, Palomar, and Cynosure. Those are the biggest laser companies in the U.S. The SoftLight system you mention is a home or salon system, so it is very low powered and does very, very little, if anything. For good hair removal treatments, visit a physician's office.