I have the Brother SE270D. It is under $400. It sews, quilts, embroiders...You do not have to be online to use it. With our dial-up, that wouldn't be possible anyway. It has some designs already in it. You can buy cards or buy the PED which will let you download designs from the internet or CDs. You can buy the downloads for as cheap as a dollar or two, but they can get expensive if you buy the more expensive ones.
I LOVE MINE!