I admit that I have never attempted to use the bulbs, because my parents had them in their light fixtures and they looked extremely tacky. I guess they have improved in the last few years. I like the idea of halogen or white LEDs better.
We have some white LEDs in use but they are EXPENSIVE right now but the cost is well worth it for what we need them for. But those early florescent bulbs were so ugly and the light was so bad that their modern cousins face an uphill battle. I use some of the old style ones in globe fixtures where the bulb does not show. You can easily get by with a 100 watt equivalent where normally only a 60 watt traditional bulb could be used.