You don't have to buy the Accuquilt Applique dies if you don't need them. The geometric dies are great, but Accuquilt needs to say better which dies can get the same effect as the new Qubes. If you have most of the older geometrics that work, having to repurchase for the couple of special cut dies in a Qube is the pits.
I have the Silhouette and if I want an applique, I can even take a picture of a drawing and get it into studio.
My problem with most applique dies is the size. I find they are either too big or too small for what I want or I happen to have drawn them myself.