After shoveling pine needles and tired of dealing with the mess we went fake this year.  I researched,  researched and then researched some more before buying this tree.  Its gorgeous.  My daughter and I fluffed it in about a half an hour.  The outer branches look so real.  The inner ones dont but that doesnt matter they just fill in the spaces.  It does have multiple light programs. We just used solid colors or solid white, I found the blinking to be too much.  I wish it had more of a twinkle setting.