Truly A, the basic models are all really much for the muchness - you'll find some peeps swear by Brother, others by Janome etc, but at the entry level, there isn't a whole lot of difference. I literally have the cheapest machine that Spotlight had quite a few years ago... a... erm... *whispers*toyota*cough*, and you know what? It's absoloutely fine. I even like it. Imagine.

The only thing I wish it had, in the bells & whisltes dept, is one-step buttonholes. I avoid buttonholes at all costs & think that would be so damn nifty!

Have fun machine shopping & good luck with the sewing... you'll be addicted soon enough....