M.D.
I LOVE my Kenmore canister. Some people don't like the canister type but I love it. It's what I've always had since being married. My mom has the regular kind so I've had lots of experience with that one, too. Also, I've cleaned a few houses in which I used their regular vacuums and I always say to myself how much I love my canister after using the other ones. Its great because you don't have to lug around the whole vacuum and it works great on any surface: carpet, berber, tile, rugs, etc.
One side note, it don't weigh as much which is great because it doesn't cause strain on my lower back. (sometimes I have back pain in that area)
HTH