thanks for all the replies, im leaning more to the garmin, its seems for the little extra you get alot more features and functions in the long runs and can upgrade the charts.
I'm a novice boater and mostly stick around the back bays with the kids and catch fish and have fun. just concered if i stray to unkown area or break down and being able to give my location.

I personally have just a sounder mounted on my boat, and carry a hand held GARMIN GPSMAP 76 for my position for those 2 items. I prefer the hand-held myself for most all applications as I can take it on any of my boats(or friends boats) and have EXCELLENT repeatability in finding spots. For a good budget machine I would reccomend the FURUNO 4100 or 6100, they are black and white but excellent machines for the money. If going with a combo in a GARMIN, step up to the 540. You will thank yourself in the longrun for doing it.

Here's a reman 540S with a full 1 year warranty(same as new) for less than you were going to pay for a 440S.
http://www.boemarine.com/Products/01...1/Default.aspx

If you have the coin I also recommend the 540S, the larger the screen the better. Also take a look in the for sale section on thehulltruth.com as there garmin units on there new and used for pretty damn cheap.

-Svence

I have to agree with randle and ferm. You can get a handheld Garmin for fairly cheap, and you can also get a good color Garmin bottom finder for fairly cheap too. The all-in-ones are nice, but IF something does ever happen to them, then you're out of both while it gets fixed. At least if you have them seperate (the off chance one of them breaks) you can still use one or the other. GARMIN is THE ONLY way to go.

Get this. I've got one about 2 feet to my left and ordered another tonight.

Discontinued model, 1/3 of retail.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...3AIT&viewitem=

Amazon has them too.....seems like a good deal.

http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-Cha.../dp/B000MPPXTG

Just bought one. I figured it was about time after telling myself "I'm gonna get a GPS for the boat this year", for the last five years. Seems like a good deal. Eight have you installed yours? Any feedback good or bad?

those are great deals. but they dont have the depth finder feature and I really didnt want to have 2 machines taking up space i was leaning more to the combo unit but now im going back and forth, hold on i might be making myself seasick over this:fight:

If you have the room for 2, then go with 2 units. You will DEFINATELY thank yourself down the road for it. COMBO units are nice for all in one convenience, but for viewing most of them SUCK!!! Unless you go out and get one of the monster units you can't really see both at the same time even in split screen mode. You would be money ahead to get 2 smaller cheap units than to get one medium priced combo unit.