I agree about nothing beats the gym, but i work at Homefit and we sell them all the time, but thats also bc i tell ppl there great! Before i went to my gym i used a home gym there good for starters i think.
Pro, use of core, balance, Con limited by your own imagination
ive used a bowflex before and truthfully didnt like it..nothing beats old fashoned barbells n dumbells!
but for a beginner i think sticking with dumbells and barbells is the way to go..because if your body adjusts to cables its gonna throw you off if you start using real weights..
and plus with cables its you vs cable resistence..
you will get much better growth and strength with just you against the iron.
cables are a good alternative...but real weight is the way to go if you ask me