Magellan eXplorist 310 Hiking GPS

Why Magellan eXplorist 310 over the Garmin comparable? For me, I was sold on the topo map that came with this bundled offer. Saved me $50 that I would have had to pay to get a regional topo map. (Yes the map offer is only for one area of the country, not the entire United States.) Although I have not had the 310 long I've spent some time testing it and so far it works better then expected. I'm still amazed at how easy the screen is to read in full sunlight. Does Apple know about this? I was a bit concerned about the complaints that it was hard to understand and operate but I found those claims to be ridiculous. To me it was very intuitive and I had it figured out before looking at the directions. NOTE: If you want topographical maps of the more then one region of the United States loaded on your GPS at the same time, the 310 will not work for you. It has 500mb internal memory and does not allow for an SD card. Only one region can be loaded at a time. Example; you can not load all of the Appalachian Trail onto this unit.PROS:* Easy to read screen at night or in full sun.* Amazing satellite reception, even inside my house away from windows.* Powers up and finds the satellites very quickly.* Free regional topo map with this 310 bundle.* Preloaded with relief world map (non-topo).* Screen can be timed to power completely off to save battery life.* Waterproof for 30 minutes and water resistant.* Easy to use menus and options* Over-the-map compass option.* "Dashboard" for hiking without using the map. Many options too.* Solid case with rubberized matte finish.* Battery compartment locks down tight.* Takes 2 AA batteries.* Save tracks and routes easily.* Topo loaded from website with no problems.* Electronic altimeter and compass works well.* Geo-cache ready with folders and options.* Standard Waypoints marked and renamed easily.* POI available.* Fishing and hunting calendar.* Sun and moon (tide) calendar.* Audible alarms.* Area calculation using walk around or by selecting points.* Screen capture capable.* "Search nearby" function* Backtrack route works very well.* USB cable included.* Weighs less then it looks.* Ergonomically pleasing.* Standard GPS tracking features like speed, distance, elevation, stop times, etc.CONS:* Non touch screen.* No SD card slot (only holds one regional topo map)* If you need directions, only comes with start-up version.* Screen is much smaller then upper scale eXplorists.Overall I think the Magellan eXplorists 310 is a great GPS for people who do local Geo-caching and standard backpacking adventures. Not so great for those who travel around the country and need topo maps for all regions or require more memory for geocaching and saving routes. You'll need to upgrade to the 510, 610 or 710 for that. I've been a fan of Garmin for many years and this is my first handheld GPS from Magellan so I hope I'm not let down over time.If you have any questions please post them in the comment section and I'll do my best to answer them.Need an inexpensive case? This one fits the 310 very well. Lowepro Tahoe 10 Pouch, BlackHighly recommended.