Originally Posted by PJL
Long-arm? I think that's such a funny name!
Ok, so how do you go about figuring out which kind to get? I took my first lesson at the LQS last night on their long-arm. It's computerized but I don't think all long-arms are computerized, are they? I had so much fun I'm going back on Sunday to quilt a "real" top instead of a practice one! Although if I put a cute border and binding on my practice one it'd be a pretty nice throw!
The advice I was given was try them all or at least the ones you are interested in. For instance where I live their is a gammill rep, (but my mother already has one so new how it felt and was), A-1 rep and a APQS rep, and I set up an appointment to "test drive" and learn about each of them. Then made the choice from that point. I would recommend if possible test driving each one as close together as possible so you remember what you liked or didn't like about each one. Also, No the computerized can be like an addition, most of them you can purchase without the computerized part but with the availability to add on at a later time.( saves I think about 10000. - 15000)
Hope that helps.
I love my APQS it has the quilt glide which makes it super smooth even in small intricate meandering.