I love my 8900 as well. I love the large throat. It doesn't do embroidery, which is fine with me. I went from a Viking D1 to a Pfaff to the 8900 and I am very happy now. She is a workhorse.
I think we are talking about two different types of embroidery. You must be thinking of the type that makes pictures? I'm referring to the line emberoidery like cross stitch and serpintine of which there are 250-ish.
Speaking for myself, in three years all I've used is the zigzag Why pay for the extras when the basic most often used would be included with any modern machine?