I own two embroidery machines. I will tell you what I like and dislike about each. My first is a Bernina Deco 650. At the time I worked for a Bernina dealer so I got an employee discount. I love that machine and over the years have bought it lots of software, extra hoops etc. The main thing I like about it as opposed to my other machine is that it loads on the right side. This allows for much easier loading of larger items as the fabric has room to stretch out on the left side. That machine uses the PES format. Over the years I purchased an extension table for it and extra hoops. When that machine began to show wear and tear I looked into another one. Bernina had gone to the combination machines by that time. I like the stand alone embroidery machine. I don't have to break down or set it up so that I can either sew or embroider. I needed to find another machine that used the PES format for all that software I had acquired. The Brother PE780D uses the same format. My biggest complaint with it is that it loads from the left outside. This limits how big a project you can stuff inside that harp space. I believe that the Brother machine actually cost less than I paid for the Bernina at least ten years before. I don't know how much money you want to spend. You might try purchasing one of the inexpensive little machines they sell in Walmart etc. just to see if you really like it. All embroidery machines come with a number of patterns already in them. It usually includes several alphabets etc. If you fall in love than you can look into the more serious machines. It doesn't take long to get addicted. I probably have $1000 dollars tied up in thread that I purchased in every color for my embroidery. I have both of my embroidery machines set up on a table against the wall. I can run something on each of them at the same time I am sewing on my Bernina Artista 185 sewing machine that is set up on it's own table six feet or so away. I can sit in my swivel office chair and operate all three machines without getting up. There is room under the table holding the embroidery machines for a lot of my supplies in plastic storage units. the nice thing about the embroidery machines is that you pick your design, load the object to be embroidered, thread the machine and push the go button. If the thread needs to be changed it stops and waits for you. You can be sewing on another machine or doing anything else you want to do while the design is being sewn out. I am not an artist but the embroidery machine allows me to look like one. If price is an issue check with the local dealers of the machines you like the best. Many of us get hooked and trade up when we are able. Often the dealers have machines with very low "milage" that they will sell you for a great price. My local Bernina dealer is a Mennonite gentleman who has made me some great deals over the years.