I have had this machine for 3 years now and love it. I only use it for embroidery. If you ever have used a Singer machine you know that they are a bit persnickity and love to be absolutely clean.Yes you have to have it hooked up to the computer to work it but I really do like have my 21" monitor for working on my design.Singers have gotten a bad rep through the recent years but you won't hear any complaints from me. It comes with 2 sizes of hoops.If you are new to embroidery then you will have to realize that this is different form sewing and the learning curve for some people is where they get into trouble. Just don't buy a used one as there is no warranty with it one the original owner sells it. If you have any more questions you can join QuantumFuturaHelpinghand group on yahoo for more information. They are very helpful and will answer any of your questions.