Product review (5 stars): Excellent alternative to a traditional setup!
The people writing one- and two-star reviews for this machine must be doing something wrong, and probably haven't researched what it is they actually needed/wanted. I've owned it for six months now, and I'm thoroughly impressed. So let's clear up some misconceptions:

-It is not loud. In fact it's quieter than any washing machine I've previously owned. It may briefly get off-balance, but it has a system to detect and correct this automatically. Anyone saying it's loud probably didn't remove the shipping bolts. Their fault.
-This machine does not leave clothing sopping wet. It doesn't leave clothing bone-dry either. It runs on a 110 volt standard outlet, so it can't draw the same amount of current and produce the same amount of heat as your 220 volt electric clothing dryer. This results in longer dry times and ever-so-slightly damp clothingassuming you haven't packed it full of clothing (the recommended load is half the drum if you want to use the dry function). Not a big deal.
-It doesn't fill a room with steam. Most of the drying this machine does is via condensation (meaning the moisture from the drying cycle is evacuated via the same tube that disposes of the wash water). However, it will expel a very small amount of that moisture from a small port in the rear of the machine. This could be an issue if you've placed the machine one inch from your Georgian-era wallpaper, but I doubt that many people buying this machine will need to worry about that.

Bottom line: This machine is designed for people living in places that weren't designed for traditional washer/dryer setups (i.e. no drains, high-voltage outlets, and vents). And for those people, this machine is awesome! You can easily purchase components that will make this any urban apartment-dweller's dream. If you're looking to buy this machine even though you have the necessary hookups for a traditional setup, you're better-off looking at LG's other offerings.