I own two embroidery machines. My first is a Bennina 650. I have had it for years and invested a lot of money in software for it. It uses the PES format. The second machine is a BrotherPE-780D. I just purchased it several months ago. The first machine only did a 4x4 motif. The newer one will do up to a 5X7. They are very similar except that the new one can also be used with a USB stick. They are both the PES format. My older machine while being sold by Bernina was made with a Brother patent. Since Bernina no longer makes a machine that uses the PES format I needed to get another machine that did. Over the years I had invested thousands of dollars in software, additional hoops, a Magic Box, thread and stabilizers. While the newer machine uses the PES format and the design cards that fit the older machine it doesn't use the same hoops etc as everything is reversed. The magic box will not work with my newer home computer that has Windows 7. The only way I can use designs that I purchased or downloaded on CDs is by copying them on to a UBS stick. Hence the newer machine. My Bernina is also 20 years old and only takes the little design cards that are getting impossible to find. Beforae purchasing the new machine I spent almost $150 having my older one "tuned up" at the dealer. Ironically the new Brother machine cost half what I paid for the Bernina.