After much research and reflection, I bought a Nikon 9000 yesterday, brand new from Samy's camera in Los Angeles. It is tax free week, so I walked out the door wwith it for 2199.95 total. THE TAX FREE is for a another few days. The 1 unopened scanner they have is new, new stock.

There is one more in stock, brand new. There is also an old store demo in stock.

Nikon Scan 4.0.3 using Windows 64 bit vista did not identify the firewire based Nikon 9000.

I used this driver here and the scanner is perfectly working in Vista 64bit: http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/coolscan-vista-64.html

Additionally, I have a Nikon 5000 scanner via USB on same computer. It is working fine. I am not sure if it is working off the Vue Scan Hamrick driver I installed or the driver I installed for the Nikon 90000 using info in above link. Nevertheless, the 5000 is working off the Nikon Scan 4.0.3 perfectly as well.