I don't know, but I'm sure it would vary by company. Could it be that it was a machine used in a quilt show for demo'ing? I also think that most companies try to make their upgrades so that the older machines can be upgraded to the latest and greatest. I know for sure that A1 did that with their handles - the stationary ones could be replaced with the ergo-handles.
What part of the country are you in? If you are on the west coast, Innovations will be in Tacoma, September 16-19. Most, if not all, of the machines will be represented there. During the year there are machine quilting shows all over the country. It's a great chance to see some amazing machine quilting, and go try all the machines to see what works best for you.