I have a Viking Designer I LE and love it - just bought it a year ago and am still learning about all the things it can do. I also have a Viking Lily555 which I bought in 2003 to replace an old and I mean old Kenmore. I couldn't be happier with both machines. Before I purchased the Designer I I did a lot of research becasue I thought I wanted a Bernina. However, I found that the Bernina has a much longer learning curve and the dealer was also not very helpful. My Viking dealer is 40 minutes away but they have been very willing to answer questions about the Designer I either over the phone or by e-mail when I can't figure out how to do something on the machine - that's what I call excellent service.