Yes, there's a difference between 'hand quilted' and 'machine quilted.' But MOST of us know that 'machine' quilting is neither EASIER nor FASTER, because it takes practice, preparation and time - much like hand quilting does - to be mastered.
Many people send their quilts out to be machine quilted by someone else. It's time that we stop being prickly about one being 'better' than the other. They're different skills.
I used to (and still wish I could) hand quilt. Arthritis in my dang thumbs put an end to that. I haven't mastered machine quilting, but I'm learning. And as for Free Motion - I am in awe of the women who do it! True artists!