I am a Janome user. I love them. That being said, I would go with the one that had the best dealer. The Janome 6500 is a great machine but I would go with the 6600 even if it is more because it will be beter in the long run since you can get it from the dealer and it is still supported. It will be worth the extra money. Good tools make sewing fun. All these bells and whistles on the machines are wonderful but you do need a good dealer as they just require more attention than those old workhorses of long ago but they do so much more and are so fun. My philosophy is to get a machine with a little more than you think you will use so that you can grow into it as you learn more and not be looking for another machine too soon.