Hi, I have the SE-270D. I just purchased it a few weeks ago, but it seems to work great. It does have a 4x4 design area, but you can buy a bigger hoop as an accessory. You will find software, fonts, & designs are expensive. You can download designs free at many sites. I would recommend this machine to a beginner. I can see where someone who really gets into embroidery would want to upgrade, but I think it will be a great learning tool for me without breaking the bank. I found ebay to have the lowest price :) Also, if you are going to download designs, you will need software and the memory card to transfer the images to the machine. Be sure to look into all of that. Good luck and I hope this helps :)

How much have you budgeted for this machine, needles, stabilizers, machine embroidery thread (can't use regular sewing thread), and all the other accessories you will need. An extra hoop will cost you around $65.

Once you choose a machine and read the manual, you will find out whether you will need a reader/writer box or not.