For me pinball has an emotive side to it, I associate with Bally/Williams machines.

When I buy a B/W machine I know it will play now as it did then with no time lag due to code updates.

Stern will never have the emotive association for me; I would then categorise it as a purchase.

I would not buy a Stern machine at this juncture due to its business model (3 tier purchasing, code updates).

On a side note the first machine I remember playing was in the Downer fish and chip shop (1973); It was a Royal Guard by Gottlieb.