Gold Cricut Explore Air

I’m not sure about the cartridges, but I do know the Gold does not come with any cartridges.

Hello, micknmin. Another Cricut Explore owner posted some great information that may answer your questions and then some. I will try to copy & paste it here. If it doesn’t work, you can go to the "Provocraft" conversation.
"bflogal524
VISITOR
Oct 1
On October 7 – which is a 24 hour craft event day, Anna Griffin will debut a new model in Gold color (to match her Gold color Cricut Cuttlebug machine) of the Cricut "Explore" Air machine. The Cricut Explore "AIR" model is the same as all other AIR models of the Explore line. It has a dual carriage and bluetooth built-in, plus it is pre-calibrated for the Print then Cut feature of the Explore line.
The regular Explore – which also has a dual carriage (you can cut and write at the same time or cut and score at the same time with a dual carriage – writing requires you insert a "pen", and scoring requires you insert the scoring tool – which are additional purchases – or may be included in some bundles) The Explore "ONE" model is a machine with "ONE" carriage, and you would need to add an adaptor to either write or score after cutting. The regular Explore and the Explore ONE – come with a slot that you could add a "Cricut" Bluetooth adaptor (sold separately at a variety of places – find the best deal as prices vary) and access via any bluetooth equipped Computer and/or Iphone / Ipad (which requires use of a Cricut App for the Ipad and or Iphone) If your computer is NOT bluetooth enabled, you can buy an additional bluetooth dongle for your computer.

All Explore models cut the same and cut the same amount of materials, and all use the online only program of Design Space. But there are several colors, and some models come with "bundled" content exclusive to some models.

This particular model differs in "Color" only and it will most likely feature Anna Griffin Exclusive content & perhaps extras that will be included in this configuration.

Note: that Design Space is an Online ONLY program that ALL Explore owners must use in order for them to be able to cut with their Explore machines. Design Space is always going to be an ONLINE ONLY program. And it will always be adding features to its program. Design Space is a computer "resource hog" – so it is VERY IMPORTANT that you have an up to date Computer, a very fast processor, at least 4 gigs of RAM memory (but more is Always Better – 8 gigs or more is good), and you must have a FAST & RELIABLE Internet connection – for working with your Computer, Design Space and your Machine. If you don’t meet or exceed these requirements, you may experience SlOW & SLUGGISH performance when in Design Space, and even experience Adobe Flash crashes. Adobe Flash is the main plugin that is required for using Design Space, and it doesn’t play nicely with each and every Internet Browser you may be using > Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Safari (for Mac owners) and any other Browsers out there. You will need to try out each one with Design Space to find the one that works best for you.

There is currently an APP for using "Design Space" on IPads and IPhones, and Provo/Cricut expects to release an APP in the "near future" for Android Users.

There are still some limitations to using "APPS"on IPads and IPhones and Design Space, but Cricut is always working on future improvements in these apps.

For folks unfamiliar with Cricut "Explore"models and all that the "Explore" machine can do (and they all cut the same and all Explore’s use the ONLINE only program of Design Space) please visit the Cricut dot com website for complete information, and user manuals, etc. Don’t buy on a whim or from what you see on HSN "before" you read up on the machine itself. There are several very helpful Facebook groups oriented just for Cricut Explore owners, where you can find lots of help.

And if you own older Cricut machines and have lots of Cartridges > if you have them linked to an online account at Cricut – just register any newly bought Cricut "Explore"machine to the exact same account with the same email and username / password you use to access your present linked cartridges, and they will be "available to you to use" in "Design Space’

Note: the program of "Cricut Craft Room" used by owners of older machines (those made before the Explore which was first introduced in Feb 2014) and the program of "Design Space" used only by "Explore" owners – are NOT compatible with each other. Which means – you can’t design a project in Cricut Craft Room and save it and open it in Design Space or vice versa. They are 2 different programs and work on different platforms. BUT you can access your Cartridges that are linked in either program and if you subscribe to the Cricut Library (9.99 a month) of regular images & cartridges (the Subscription does NOT contain images from licensed cartridges – such as those from Disney etc) you can access your subscribed images when using CCR or Design Space. For those who want Close to My Heart (CTHM) Cricut cartridges/packages > those can only be obtained from Close to My Heart representatives online – Cricut does NOT sell them on their website nor does HSN.

You can buy Cricut cartridges from a variety of places, but if you want "Digital" only content, you can only buy digital content via Cricut’s website, or if buying as part of a Bundle deal on HSN or other places – you will recieve a code to access it online in digital form. Some cartridges offered in Explore bundle deals are also occasionally offered in real life Cartridge form to use with stand alone older Cricut machines and those can also be "linked" to your online account if your only own the Explore (Explore machines have a slot to place a "cartridge" into, and then you link that cartridge to your online account and use it via Design Space) Explore owners have NO Offline use of a Cartridge inserted into their machine. So once linked to an online account, you would remove from machine. All cartridges can only be linked to ONE account, so you wouldn’t be able to offer it to another Explore owner. You could offer it to an person who owns an older Cricut machine to use "offline" only. Beware of people selling cartridges online, if they are "Linked" already they are useless to Explore owners.

Educate yourself – before purchasing an Explore machine, and be aware of the requirements to use and run it – so that you will have a positive user experience.

Note too: Explore owners can cut any image they have on their own computers – upload them to Design Space to use via the Print then Cut feature (currently there are "Size" limitations to the Print then Cut feature and all images must or should be printed on "white" printable material that your own printer can handle)

Explore owners can upload any SVG file that they might obtain from 3rd party sources such as svgcuts dot com.

Explore owners can upload patterns or images like digital scrapbook papers and use as a "Pattern" fill on shapes for using the Print then Cut feature of the Explore.

PLEASE read on the Cricut dot com website all the details of what Explore machine owners can do with their machines, before you make a purchase. Inform yourself before October 7th, and enjoy watching the shows throughout the day and the demo’s for the new Gold colored model of the Cricut Explore Air. And visit Anna’s website blog for more information on her products lines.

I bought my Explore last October 2014 via HSN, and have loved using it. (I use it mostly with the Print then Cut feature, and have made lots of cards with that feature)"