I received this unit as a gift, and I've been completely addicted to it since.

The "eTrex Legend" is one of Garmin's "base" map-compatible GPS units. It includes the basic GPS features - tracks, waypoints, routes and ever present "sun and moon information". Unfortunately, the unit does not have a digital altimeter or digital compass.

The unit doesn't include a USB interface - something that should be of upmost importance to modern computer users. Almost all laptops and many newer desktop computers no longer include serial interfaces in them, meaning you're either stuck with never hooking it up to the computer or purchasing expensive (and hokey) "serial to usb" interfaces.

The battery life is average-to-good. I originally expected to be swapping out batteries after every 4-6 hours, but the real world battery life is fairly close to Garmin's published estimates. I generally will put in some generic run-of-the-mill alkaline batteries (Duracell, Energizer, etc) and I don't seem to need to replace them for a good 5 or 6 trips.

Strangely, the LCD screen never shuts off - only the backlight does. I would have much rather Garmin added some sort of "auto-off" functionality - the unit wastes power displaying the LCD screen while it sits in my pack plotting my route.

After years of extensive use (in my hand for the duration of almost every trip in the past 3 years) I've noticed a bit of wear and tear. The rubber design that covers the interface port has started to tear due to it's flimsy design - a deficiency I noticed when I first used the unit and Garmin should have caught during quality assurance. A tiny "nub" of rubber is all that holds the back flap in place. I've also found that the glue they used to hold the rubber in place has starting to come undone during hikes during hot days.

The LCD screen is not of the highest quality - over the years the screen has faded and I find it's difficult to see topographic lines on the maps now. I'm not sure why this happened - I suspect that although the unit is waterproof, some tent condensation affected the screen.

The antenna as sensitive as I would like it to be - the only way I can get a reliable signal while I hike in forest is to hold the unit in my hand laying horizontal. This has resulted in me becomming a bit of a "GPS Addict", fussing over the unit always making sure I have an accurate signal. It also means that I've never gotten a clean "track" out of the unit - I always take manual waypoints at regular intervals of approximately 40-50 meters. Granted, most users won't go to that much effort - for navigation (and not map creation) it's more than acceptable.

The MapSource software is expensive ($130+ CAD for Canadian TopoMaps) but very useful. On the computer I can pan around and explore different areas and manage my GPS data very quickly. On the unit itself there is a noticeable lag when zooming in and out, but nothing extremely bad.

I've focused on many of the deficiencies in this review - don't let it put you off purchasing the unit if you're interested. For the price, it's an excellent mapping unit and well worth the investment.