Intimidating machines

I conquered the treadmill this past week-- sort of. I know it sounds silly but weren't you initially intimidated by a specific machine, or a new machine that doesn't look quite natural?
A treadmill may be far from out of the ordinary but for a woman who's found endearment with her elliptical, it's hard for me to go to something that simulates a much more natural form of movement. The pounding of my feet on the tread and the actual bouncing of my body is very different from the swish swish of the elliptical. I'm really bad with controlling my breath while running so, naturally, the treadmill led me to an asthma attack. Boo.
For my gym buddy, every weight machine looked like a torture contraption. After the initial novice feeling, she became adventurous and even tried out a controlled weight system all on her own. The instructions are on each machine but, come on, they are not always the easiest to simulate properly. She did good. My only worry is that she's bored or that I'm not guiding her properly.
Form is of high importance, especially when using a machine: not holding your elbow to your side during a tricep pull will cause different muscles to be used instead of the backside of your guns.
I'd love to hear your moments of intimidation with machines and new exercises.