I must be one of the few who use a full size machine for all of my hobby work. I have a Centroid Atrump knee mill with a Centroid control. You can switch between manual and cnc control. Also, you can do incremental movements to mill or drill and absolute movements. The programing is can be done in G&M code or the conversational with preprogramed can cycles.
The display askes you all the questions, values, dimensions, that is needed for the operation that you intend to perform hole drilling, lines, arc's, pockets, circles, squares, ect.
I bought this mill back in 1998 new, the computer is ancient by computer standards, but still works fine. The display is color, it show the different tool paths in different colors, so if you do a line move then a drill operation, the hole operation is shown in 3d, with the peck operation different colors. To clarify, the display can be switched between display(text) and graph. The graph actually shows you what you are telling the machine what to do. That way you can check your work be for pushing the start button.
This control is so much easier to use than any other system that I have use over the last 40 plus yrs of cnc programing..
I started in 81 with Heidenhain controls, fanoc, fagor, Analheim, bridgeport controls system. So to me everything else is a PIA.
So, in my opinion, if anybody is starting or doing small job shop work or thinking of doing any sort of work for hire, a CNC with the ability to switch to manual is paramount.
My life's experience!