ahhh, gotcha Kayote!  obviously someone using the APC machine for media mail has to be pretty savvy and know that you have to know the postage rates. I'm lucky that right by mine is a scale that you can weigh your package and click on book rates and get the media mail amounts.

Oh, this is SO typical.  They finally do something that helps people not have to stand in those interminable lines and they decide to take it away.  It makes no sense whatsoever to take the machines away--first of all, they haven't been there that long and it always takes people time to learn to use something new.  Second, they already PAID to manufacture the machine--how does it save money to take it away now??  My post office still has one, I used it today.  I live in Chicago so I hope our post offices have enough business to keep the APC, it's the only thing that's made the 13-ounce rule bearable. 

Leslie, the APM at my PO had a big drop box right next to it for you to deposit your package in once you've put postage on it.  Further up the lobby they have 2 drop slots for envelopes and slightly bigger drop slots for small packages.  Any smaller packages I couldn't fit in the lobby drop slots I was putting in the APM drop box.

I avoid the PO if at all possible.  I buy my stamps from the USPS website and put my books either in my personal mailbox or drop them in a mailbox in town somewhere.  As for shipping larger packages, I'd go with UPS any day over the USPS!

This is why the price of stamps will 'forever' increase. They are allowed to spend a gazillion dollars on equipment before they research it thoroughly, and then decide they dont want the equipement after a minimal time using it. Um, yes, no wonder they are always in the red...

Leslie:  APC machines don't have drop slots

The back of the machine has a "bin" where the packages go - I think that's the "slot" in question.

John, that must be a different version of the APC machine because the one in my PO and the one by my office does not have any sort of slot or bin at the back of the APC machine.  on the wall adjacent to the machine is a bin to place the packages that is larger than than the one for envelopes or smaller packages

The back of my machine is sorta like a regular street mailbox, only with a larger "slot" to take packages (and it's silver not blue); you pull the handle, put your package inside, and close it so that your package falls into the inside bin. If the bin is full, the slot mechanism jams (I referred to it as "locked" once and the clerk went off on me "We don't 'lock' them!") and has to be manually cleared. I feel sorry for folks going nights/weekends with packages larger than blue-box sized when that happens, as those are all franked up with no place to go!