New Home is the name that Janome was sold under in the US when it wasn't politically correct to be a "Made in Japan" product. When we got over that phobia they just "came out" as Janome and dropped the New Home name.
I've got the Janome 11000, MC9000, Gem, Hello Kitty and one other basic New Home. They all work great and have never given me any trouble. I would definitely go for one of the newer models that has the wider neck so you can quilt a larger quilt without trouble. I personally would never give up the embroidery feature!