Except it's not so easy to get your hands on one these days. They are constantly out of stock. (IIRC they are basically now hand made by a guy out of the UK).
I get the appeal of manual levers to espresso enthusiasts but would strongly dissuade beginners from starting with one. When you are learning to dial in a shot what you want is consistency and reproducibility which is the opposite of what you get with a manual lever.
Also it doesn't steam milk so you need to figure out a separate solution for steaming if you want to make a flat white/cappuccino/latte/etc.
That's not to say you should dump thousands of dollars into a La Marzocco, but there are plenty of entry level machines in the $300-500 range that would suit a beginner just fine.
The simple fact that there are terms like "beginner" used in this conversation shows that y'all are overthinking it.
It is about having a good coffee, not a professional sport.
China and Japan made whole rituals and philosophy around serving tea and there is a difference between novice and adept in that. People really nerding out on espresso are just repeating an old trend.