My favorite machine was the Bernina 1090...unfortunately, the computer board died and you can't get a replacement for it. I ended up buying a used one on Ebay that worked out fine...for now. So, I would second the advice to get a mechanical machine. They work forever. I travel with my travel mechanical machine. My favorite functions are "needle up, needle down," thread cutter, light bulb, and a handy reverse button. Ask to sew on the machine at the store to experience how comfortable you are with it and if the functions you'd like are easy to use. Have them demo how to thread it and the bobbin then see if you can do it by yourself. Threading can sometimes be tricky. Take your time and if you want to check out a machine more than once, don't be shy about going back to the store and test drive a machine more than once.