You have great comments and suggestions. Thank you and keep them coming.
My first embroidery machine did designs up to a 5" x 7" which was great. The stitch count was limited to a stitch count less than 50,000 stitches per design. The maximum speed was 650 stitches per minute. Some of the machines doing 4" x 4" designs maximum size will do less stitch count. The new top of the lines will do as much as a 9.5" x 14" and will do a design with a stitch count up to 700,000. They have a maximum speed of 1050 stitches per minute.
The choice is all about how much you will use it, purpose and then the all important part...what does it cost! The program will hit on these elements along with stabilizers, designs, thread, etc and all of the things you suggest that can be incorporated into the materials.
When the professional sales people start showing you what the machines will do, sometimes they don't mention what you will need in addition to the machine to achieve the dreams you have in mind. One lady I know bought a machine at her dealer and thought she got everything she needed...the machine and thread. Somehow she wasn't aware of needing stabilizer or how she would load designs into her machine. Just want the information given in a way that the shopper is more savvy before going shopping. All brands have great machines. It is just a matter of fitting the right machine to the needs of the shopper.
Again, keep the information coming and thank you.