I resemble that remark! I was looking at a couple of older models (from Craig's list), then went into the local sew/vac shop to ask them about the models. Of course they steered me towards the new models. For my entry-level price range, I was looking at the Brother 1200 which is at a reduced price because the 1250 (new model) is coming out, which, of course has some very nice features that I'm interested in. It's also a sewing machine. I can get a dedicated embroidery for less money, but then it doesn't have the usb-port feature that I want. So they say the 1250 will come down in price once the 1200s are all sold (around Thanksgiving time). I'll wait till then and see.