Why do you say that Terry? What's wrong with the 9 series??
I get to try quite a lot of equipment, directly from manufacturers seeking my opinion or as part of my IT activities within my companies or just when I buy some new toys to play with.
For me, the 8800 GTX is the card to measure against. The 8600 is pretty close in performance, and right now, you can buy those models very cheaply.
The 9 series seems to be modelled on the lower-spec versions of the 8 series and then sold at a higher price because they're "new". They don't seem to have any "must have" new capabilities or anything I can see that makes them more desirable. Just a marketing man's (spits on the floor) gimmick.
I'd advise giving the 9 series a miss and getting 8600/8800.
I've read a number of reviews in PC Magazines and they seem to share my opinion.
Personally I prefer NVIDIA. ATI are OK, just not my preference. I think NVIDIA are easier to update, and seem to need less tweaking to get the best out of them. That said, there isn't any major difference between them, I think.