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Traditionally, the Garmin and Magellan units have been the top of the list for reliable GPS devices. My own perception is that this still holds true, simply because they have been at it longer. There are other manufacturers and a broader selection of devices to choose from, and most seem to be pretty good at what they do. I know that Garmin and Magellan owners are almost as passionate about their GPS devices as folks are about their brand of truck.

I think the better approach to selecting a device might be to define what you want the GPS to do. Do you want in-car navigation, with turn-by-turn directions? Do you want a hand held unit to take into the field with you? There are products that specialize in each of those things. Do you just want to mark a location or have the ability to carry topo maps or even satellite images within the device? Again, this determines which type of device you are looking for. Obviously, the more features you desire, the more expensive the device will be. Many cell phones and PDAs now include GPS capabilities, but I prefer a dedicated unit. Most sporting and outdoor retailers carry these units, especially the handheld ones. The in-car systems are available almost anywhere these days. Online stores are easy enough to find and offer very good deals on many of the units. I purchased my Magellan several years ago from Sportsman's Warehouse. It holds selectable topo maps in it. It was about $350 at the time. For that same amount, you can get an even better setup now.

I use mine to mark locations for rock-hounding, hunting, and other activities. I also use it for Geocaching (under another username). I helped my father use it to locate and mark the corners of a couple claims he staked on some rock deposits. I transfer many of my waypoints into mapping software and play around with various kinds of maps and satellite images. Several times I used the GPS to select the best road or trail to get out of an unfamiliar area.

You must keep in mind that consumer-grade GPS devices are not completely accurate. They have deliberate errors in them that only make them accurate to within 10-16 feet. For most activities, that's pretty good and more than adequate. For survey work, that is unacceptable and an expensive professional unit would be needed.

So, it all boils down to needs and how much you are willing to spend. You can certainly get by without one, but GPS capabilities are working their way into many consumer items, and it seems inevitable that you will soon find yourself using one at some level. I hope this helps in some way.