I've considered purchasing a GPS tool of one kind or another several times over the past five years or so, but never have pulled the trigger. Ninety-plus percent of my hikes are on blazed trails here in the south, and I rarely ever pull the map, let alone compass, from my pack. The other ten percent of my hiking is typically on western trails during each year, and most of those have been pretty straightforward (seriously, how can you deviate from the MMWT in reasonably good summer conditions?). In fact, the only time I've been at all uncertain about my location in quite a while was in North Cascades NP a few years ago, and that lasted maybe an hour.
But then again, I'm the anal kind of guy who studies the map of an upcoming hike till it screams for mercy. Being an old schooler (not that old, but old enough at 53), regardless of what technology I may jump on in the future, I'll probably always have a compass and map in my pack. For work I use a laptop and a BlackBerry incessantly - but I also use a Daytimer, which drives my tech-worshiping boss nuts.
I read the many, many posts that regularly pop up on the boards regarding SPOT, GPS, etc., and wonder what it is that I'm missing. I understand the benefit of a SPOT, both for the user and the observer of the user, but I'm not "that guy" that disappears into the Sierra for a two week romp on the SHR or JMT (I'm admittedly quite prejudiced against having more than 25 pounds on my back at any given time, and I absolutely rebel when it approaches 35). I'm an avid dayhiker and occasional backpacker (2 nights on average), so I just haven't seen the benefit of investing a few hundred bucks in a GPS-based system. I'm not averse to it, it's just that the spirit hasn't moved me to that point yet.
That said, whether it's a paper map or GPS display, the ability to read the landscape around you and interpret those same topo features on a map will always be critical to finding your way around in the backcountry when it's necessary. I believe there is a danger for some in putting too much faith in technology, particularly in the wilderness, without adequately understanding the basic principles that technology is based on. The upside is that (I presume) with a GPS system you don't have to deal with the damn declination adjustments! In Georgia, it's minimal since magnetic north and true north vary by only about 4 degrees. When I'm out west, it's a different story - and direction.
