I'd probably be looking at companies that have been in the longarm business longer (or are better known for longarming). My current favorite is Innova with Lightning Stitch, but Gammill and HandiQuilter are also well-known.
There are quite a few groups on groups.yahoo.com for specific machine brands. The homequiltingsystems group there is another good one, with many members and a variety of setups. These are good places to research brands.