As many have said, there is just as much work involved in machine embroidery- as far as the "quilting" part, not piecing, i don't look at it any different than a computerized longarm. I personally prefer all freehand for myself, and I do like heavy quilting if the quilt warrants it. I think the quilting process is just as important as the piecing- so when I learned to piece, I started to practice quilting sandwiches. Some people hate it- that's okay!