i bought 3 and with in a week one died. not to impressed.

A couple of the more normal looking LED lightbulbs I have are "LED filament" bulbs that look pretty much like this: http://i.imgur.com/jLnc3dE.jpg
The brand I bought has pretty good efficiency (3.6 watt @ 450 lumen) but isn't sold anymore. Another decent/cheap bulb I have been using is Philips Slim Style. The 10.5 watt 800 lumen ones can be picked up for about $7/each.
So for I haven't had any LED's go out which is good because the ones I bought in 2012 were between $20 and $35 each. Back then the 450 lumen LED's were 8 or 9 watts and the 800 lumen lights were 12.
We are at a point now where its cheaper over the life of the bulb to go with LED over CFL. Not being prone to shatter and (generally) having to be replaced less often is a bonus.

Mounting them the right way would be critical, not my idea of a solid state LED. May not suitable for all applications?

At least you shouldn't get that nasty shadow that the heat sinks cause!

Regardless of the "latest" thing in light bulbs, I will be buying ONLY bulbs "Made in the USA" - period.

I'm still surprised that the heat is being discarded when the technology to convert the heat directly into electricity. One camping equipment manufacturer chose to put a thermal generator on the base of a camp coffee maker.

@Noel K Frothingham: the efficiency of said heat to electricity conversion would increase the LED's total efficiency by a few percent, while costing a multitude of a normal LED lamp. Why not put that money into more efficient LED dies to begin with?

Our entire house uses the older Cree LEDs (warm white) ... we find them to be excellent. Very happy. A number of them are on dimmers and they dim well.

I love the concept of LED bulbs and have a few around the house. However 2 have already stopped working in what I'm sure is less time than an ordinary incandescent. Other than junction drift at the PN junction in the LED there shouldn't be anything else to wear out. They should go for years.
But they don't. Well not yet anyway. Maybe it's dodgy electronics making the conversion from mains voltage to low voltage DC.

I don't think I have a single fixture in the house that is orientated correctly for the bulb.