Another Bread Machine Question

[Stinky The Clown]

I'm getting cold feet about this whole bread machine thing. I currently make breads that look more like this:



than this:



Now, to be sure, my breads don't look quite as nice as that top picture, but you get the idea. Those are more like "artisan" or "rustic" breads. But as you know, that's a ton of work and mess, so I don't do it very much.

My impression of what comes from a bread machine is all the same shape, close to what appears in the second picture.

While all the breadmakers seem to show pictures in the manuals or literature, or on their web sites, that look more like the first picture, is that kind of bread possible from a bread machine? You know .... crusty but not tough ..... like good French or Italian bread or good San Francisco sour dough ...... ?

Note, this is as much about looks as it is about taste.