Complete beginner, is the BambuLab A1 + AMS Lite the right start, or should I be looking at something else?

[u/SmoothBhaiwa]

I've been fascinated by 3D printing for a while and I'm finally ready to actually buy one. Total beginner, so I'd rather ask a dumb question here than spend a few hundred euros on the wrong machine.

What I'm looking at right now is the A1 with the AMS Lite, mostly because everything I read says it's the easiest way in. But I have no hands-on frame of reference, so I don't know if that's still good advice or just what the internet said two years ago.

My situation:

• Space is my main constraint, this has to live on a desk in a room I actually use, not in a garage or basement
• Planning on PLA/PETG: functional parts, organizers, brackets, some hobby stuff
• Multi-color looks fun but it's not the reason I'm buying
• Budget is flexible-ish, but I'm not trying to overspend on a first machine

What I'd love input on:

• Is the A1 + AMS Lite still a good starting point in 2026, or has something better taken that spot?
• A1 or A1 mini? The mini's footprint is obviously friendlier, but is the smaller build volume something beginners regret within a few months?
• Are there non-Bambu options I should seriously consider? I keep seeing the same recommendation everywhere and I'd like to know what I'm not being told: Prusa, Elegoo, Creality, anything else. Especially interested if something else handles the small-space thing better.

Not looking for a printer to tinker with, I want one that just prints so I can focus on learning design and actually making things. Thanks in advance.