I bought an MS290 around 2000 or 2001, they were so new I remember the salesman kept referring to at as an 029. I didn't know what I was buying, I just needed a saw for a job. I grew up building houses and spent some time in Oregon in '96 working on a ranch clearing land. At the time I was buying the saw, I had been laid off for the second time from a failed tech dot com within the last 12 months and needed some cash. I had a builder friend that needed some building lots cleared and offered me money to do it. I think I had a budget of ~$300 for the saw, etc. When I walked into the store, I was thinking back to that 066 I had ran in Oregon, thinking I would buy something similar - I was wrong. I just remember feeling foolish that I had learned to use and maintain a tool while I was in Oregon, but never bothered to ask what it cost.
I still have that little 290, while it's pretty heavy for what it is, it's been a good little saw.