First of all, let me explain that I am a natural-media artist (oils, watercolors, acrylics, etcetera). I do not do a lot of tracing, unless I am doing something like animation cells; however, a few years ago, I picked up a light table from a marketing company that was going out of business. I am talking about a desk about the size of an average kitchen table with a top of frosted glass, and a lighting system that when cranked up requires you to wear sunscreen and tinted glasses.It was a bit of overkill; however, my motto is: anything worth doing, is worth overdoing. Anyway, I sold the behemoth, and looked at some of these newer tracing devices. Did my homework, checked reviews and ratings, blah, blah, blah, and decided on this model.FIRST IMPRESSIONSThe device comes well packed and protected. The company wanted to make sure that the device did not suffer during transit, and they did a good job.When you take it out of its protective enclosure, you will have the light pad, a power cord, and an instruction sheet. This specific unit does not come with a USB power plug, so if you plan on using it without plugging it in to your computer’s “powered” USB port, you will need to invest in one… that is if you do not already have about 20 of them hidden in drawers around your house.Amazon sells a lot of different versions, like this one:https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-One-Port-USB-Wall-Charger/dp/B0773BHCV1/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1530621153&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=usb+wall+charger&psc=1One other thing, when I removed the unit, there were about a dozen sheets of tracing paper, and a small eraser, in the bottom of the box. I do not recall reading about that when I purchased the unit, but it was a nice touch.The unit is light weight (335g /11.75 ounces), and crazy thin (4.7mm / 0.19 inches).The instruction sheet has a few minor errors on it, but no more than you would expect from having a document translated from the native tongue to English.For one thing, they give the measurements for width and height in inches, and then switch to metric for everything else. Not that big of a deal; however, you should stick with one measurement system… the world is a confusing enough place as it is.There is a mistake on the height of the unit. It lists the outside (total) height as 9.17 inches, and the active (tracing) area as 9.37 inches, that means the drawing area is bigger than the unit is tall, and I think you just defied the laws of physics. Again, not a big deal.In the photograph of the unit (on the instruction sheet), along with the USB power cord, they have the cord reversed. They are showing the large end of the USB cord being plugged into the unit. Another nothing burger, because I would assume no one would attempt to plug the large end of the USB cable into the unit. But, one of the things that I do is write user’s manuals and “how to” stuff, so I am probably being picky.To use the unit, plug the mini USB into the side of the light pad, and the larger USB cable into a “powered” USB port on your computer, or a USB charger. I found that the mini USB port on the unit is sturdy, and shows no signs of failure. Remember, that the USB plug can only go into the port one way. Look for the USB symbol on the top of the mini plug… that symbol should be facing the front of the unit. If you encounter any resistance, stop, and check to see if you have the plug positioned correctly. There will be resistance, but only enough to keep the plug firmly in place in the port.To turn the unit on, simply tap the touch sensor. With each tap, the touch sensor cycles from off, low, medium, high, and then back to off.The unit is fairly sturdy; however, it is almost a thin as a coin, so throwing it in your backpack and hiking around is probably not a good thing. Based on what I see, it will last a long time, if properly taken care up. I clean mine with a light spritz of window cleaner, and then wipe it off with a paper towel. As with all electronics, keep it from getting wet, or running it over with your car.One person commented that when she plugged it into her computer, it lit up, but nothing else happened… One can only assume what she expected to happen, but remember this is not a computer device, it is only a light pad. It is not necessary to have a computer to use it… just some power. In other words, it is not a Wacom drawing tablet.Several people complained about the black dots that appear between the LEDs, and yes, they are there, and they are black, but when you place your artwork and tracing paper on the unit, the black dots blend into the LEDs and disappear… like magic.Here is a trick: If you are left handed, then turn the unit around to that the USB plug side is on your right, and if you are right-handed, do the opposite. That way you will not accidently brush over the touch sensor, and change the light setting.Another trick: I secure my artwork and tracing paper to the light pad using a few clips that I picked up at my office supply store, and they seem to work fine.I would be described as a light user, and I have only had the unit for about a week, if I do encounter any problems I will come back and amend this review.But, for now, I am very pleased that I made this purchase. And, at the same time, got rid of a 100-pound light table… win, win.