I am asked this question every week. For a beginner, they only need forward, reverse and a zig zag! They will figure out what bells and whistles they like for their next machine and this one will always be there as a back-up or for another beginner. I personally do not care for brother machines because they are very difficult to adjust or fix (the basic, inexpensive ones). I also discourage people from getting the very, very cheap ones that are more like toys than actual machines. You can find GREAT older machines (METAL!!) at many sewing machine shops that have been refurbished for around $100. Also, stores like Joanns run their sales on singers often and you can get a very reliable machine on sale for $119 or $149, Singer's tech support is truly bad, but their manuals are very good, simple and can get you thru most problems. Again, for a first timer, these are good machines. Then they will discover what features are important to them and can upgrade to the next level of machines.