Jen,
I have one and really like it. I've used the map function when I was riding out-of-town over the holidays and needed some navigational assistance. Unlike gtragitt, the calorie consumption is way off when I use the HR strap that I bought with the device. Without the strap, it is much closer to the mark. From reading on the Garmin forum, this seems to be a problem that lots are having.

I love the touch screen (but then, I have an iphone and ipad - I lust after cool technology) and it is easy to switch screens while riding. I had a major problem with it on the Tour de Foothills - in the middle of the ride it has me taking a side trip to Tokyo and back. That only affected my mileage and mph - everything else was okay. But adding 14,000 miles at over 5K mph to my training log really messes up my averages

I agree that the battery life is quite nice. I had one point where it wasn't reading the cadence sensor, but that appears to be a single incident glitch - as was Tokyo. Even though it was pricey, I have not regretted the purchase for a minute. Should I put in a special word with Santa for you?