As much as we would all like to choose the "right" machine, the truth is that our needs and desires change over time. When I bought my Bernina 440QE around 2007, I selected that machine largely because of the BSR, and I also purchased the embroidery unit. A couple of years later, I bought a longarm and have not used the BSR since then. And I never got interested in machine embroidery. I am still happy with the 440, but if I were buying a new machine today I would look for entirely different features. I also piece on a vintage Singer 301, and the only features that I miss on that machine are the automatic needle down and the knee lift. I'm sure that if I had an automatic thread cutter, for instance, I would get used to it and eventually might regard it as a necessity. But I don't have it, so I don't miss it.