I bought my Esante - I believe around 1997 or 1998. I have been using it steadily since. It is a workhorse for embroidery. I use it very little for general sewing - use my Bernina for that. The learning curve is fairly short - just begin with some of the patterns and fonts built into the machine. I use the Pallette software program for lots of the editing and for using designs downloaded from various sites on the internet. Overall - It's a great machine and I have had almost no trouble with it! If I can answer more specific questions - let me know.