Peckish

I recommend you find a beginner's longarm class. You don't have to own one to take it. I signed up for one 18 months before I bought my longarm. I was not pressured at all to purchase during the class.

You learn a lot more from a class than you do just doodling around on an existing setup at a show for 15 minutes. Here are the things I learned:

How to load a top, backing, and batting on the frame, adjust tension across the quilt, baste.
How to fill bobbins on bobbin winder, thread machine, test and adjust thread tension.
Quilted some free motion, tried out pantographs, played with the computerized software and tried it out also.
How to troubleshoot issues, how to clean, maintain, and service machine. (Innovas are designed so you can perform your own service, and if you need help there is 24/7 support. You don't have to take it in and wait for weeks; this is one of the reasons I eventually purchased an Innova.)

In addition to learning all that, I was able to see for myself how I liked the actual quilting, what it was like to stand or sit at a machine for a long period of time (the class was 5 hours). I was also able to test out different size longarms, 18" to 32", check out different options such as the stitch regulator, the awesome light bar my dealer designed (it has switches, one for the longarm, one for the light bar, and it also has extra outlets in case I want to install a black light or plug in a radio or something). And after taking the class, I opted for the hydraulic lift. It was only after taking the class that I realized how handy the lift was.

Once I took the class, I had a much better idea of what I was doing, what I liked, what I didn't like, and was able to test drive other machines with a clear idea of what I wanted.