I would go to your local 'Sewing Machine Store' and really pick their brains....have them do demos and explain how you get the designs to the machine, hoop sizes, etc....etc....etc.... once you understand the principles then you will be able to make a more informed decision regarding what you want to do and how much you want to spend.....I have owned two Brother machines and really love them....Remember to ask about the computer software, if it comes with the machine or is it in addition to .....Some machines you need to connect the machine to the computer, some use cards (which don't hold a lot of patterns) and the newer ones now use a USB fashdrive, which can hold thousands of patterns.....I have been doing embroidery since 1998, and at one point had close to 10,000 designs. There are a tons of places on the interent that have both free and for sale designs, that will be your primary sourse for the designs.