Disclaimer: I'm a sales guy for a GPS Retailler...

With that out of the way, I can tell you that at the very low-end of the market, in some cases, you are giving up LOTS in terms of features on a GPS. things like a Basemap (which would have at least city and town names, if not an actual road map) and the ability to connect your GPS to a computer. The Foretrex is a unit that does not do much well. I'd avoid it.

That said, your best values for a small GPS are:
The Garmin Geko 201 ($134.95) which at least connects to a PC and has an external power option - this is a good thing.

The Garmin eTrex is also a good buy, at $96.36 (which is after a $30 rebate), and the darn thing is nearly indestructable. It's waterproof. This one is - by far -the most popular with the troops in Iraq.

A small step up to the Lowrance iFinder ($145.95) brings you into the world of decent basemaps, including waterways. Unfortunately, unlike the Garmin products, the iFinder is "water resistant" (use in the rain) not "water proof" (drop it in the water). But the screen and map quality is so great that this is forgiveable.

Avoid the 100 and 200 of the Magellan Explorist line, they made to many compromises on features compared to other low-end devices. The advantage to Magellan is better antennas, but it's only a slight difference. the Exploris 300 (at $199) is a nice package, but compared to an eTrex, you're not getting much more for your money.

The Magellan SportTrack and Meridian lines, however, are truly great, but a bit more expensive. The SportTrack, at $189, it s solid performer, with features that you'll actually need and use, while the Meridian Color (my current favorite and the one I use most) has a screen that is wonderous and locks on in deep woods. The Meridian Color is expensive ($344.00)

No matter what you choose, use LITHIUM BATTERIES in your GPS. This is especially important for storage, not to mention that backlights on GPS devices - all brands - cut battery life a great deal.

So, to round it up, I'd propose that you look at the Garmin eTrex line as your best bet for the under $100 unit.

have a look at the site of the company I sell for:
www.gpsexplorer.com

Please drop me a line, I can beat ANY price you can find online for any Garmin (or Magellan, or Lowrance) product - and if you put the word "focazio" in the "coupon code" area, I'll get an itsy-bitsy commision on the sale too!

Marty
publicsafety@gpsexplorer.com