Limiting the time between the grinding of fresh beans and extraction captures those oils that lead to an incredible crema.  The in-built grinder allows beans to espresso in under a minute.

The programmable pour, or semi-automatic function, simply controls the volume of the espresso pour, at the press of a button.  That's 1 oz (30ml) for a single shot and 2 oz (60ml) for a double. Which, of course, is adjustable.