My mistake, checking Ebay it appears the used 990's go for around $200.

Can you use NIMH batteries in them? Would that work well? Alkalines are
WAY
too expensive.

Oh, yes. Everyone uses AA-sized NiMH in the 990.

The swivel design allows you to have a lot of flexibility in picture
taking, allowing you to place the camera on a flat surface and point the
lens at the subject. This way, exposures up to 1 second (of building
interiors for example) come out pin-sharp. Another use we've found (my
wife and I have 990s, I recently upgraded to a 5700) is at conferences -
interiors again where the exposure might be 1/4 second. You can put the
camera on your desk or table, and point it sideways to get candid photos
of other delegates! Be sure the flash is disabled, of course.

There are two things to look out for on the 990 - some people manage to
break the battery door cover, and the rotary mode switch does need the
occasional drop of switch cleaner.

At $200 it's a wonderful bargain, which will provide you with high-quality
pictures and lots of fun!

Cheers,
David