GPS nerd here. Currently have my 60CSx on fleabay, its replacement will be a 76. Couple of other units around here; Garmin, Magellan, Trimble... Symmetricom and TimingSolutions GPS-disciplined time and frequency systems at work.
My top brand preference, by a large margin, is Garmin. Hands down the most durable and best designed (mechanically and firmware/UI) units right now. Trimble makes fantastic hardware, but they're more scientific/industrial than consumer.
What all do you want out of it? Do some research, see what's out there. Do you want a heart rate monitor? Wireless connectivity? Color? Capability to load maps? Electronic compass? Waterproof? Touchscreen or hard keys? Camera? Voice prompts? Music player?
$350 is a pretty healthy budget for a receiver. You'll do well. Remember to factor in maps and accessories.
CityNav for US/Canada/Mexico is about $80. Topo maps are about $20 a pop. You can find some free maps (
gpsfiledepot.com is a good resource) but the coverage, quality, and consistency varies. If you find that maps are available where you play, then by all means go with the free stuff. I like CityNav for truck/dualsport motorcycle, but I switch to topo maps for snowmobiling. The 62/78 series also offer aerial and raster image overlays, which is a really neat feature to have.
If you want anything more than a basic GPS, don't buy one without an expansion card slot. And don't buy the maps pre-loaded on an expansion card - Buy the DVD and install them yourself. This lets you use that mapset in BaseCamp/MapSource.
