This may not help you much but like most of the other guys I have owned both. I recently went to the SI models but went from Lowrance back to the 'Bird models. The main issues was two fold: 1) ease of use of the units, 2) customer service. The 'Bird people really are the much better.

Not busting on you JR! I agree about the prices, freaking amazing I never thought I'd spend that much for a graph and I thought I was nuts when I spent $1700 on the HDS 7 bundle UNTIL the other day when I ordered a Gen 2 HDS 10. Chhhaaaccchhhiinnggg$$$$$$ I don't even fish for a living or fish tourneys anymore, just love the cool pics from the underwater world.

I must be messed up because everybody says the birds are easier to use but I couldn't figure out how to ever get good pics from the demo units. Too dang many options for me I guess. Now YES, the HDS could be improved to make it easier to find the screen you want I agree.

I hear you...telling my wife that I "need" 3 grand in new electronics took some courage!

I'm in this dilemma myself as I just sold my boat and will have to get new electronics on the new one. I got one of the first birds with sidescan the 987. Humminbird really, really treated me good with all the software updates that kept me current with all the new stuff they were releasing. My unit didn't come with record, they put it in an update. I couldn't zoom in on my SI, they gave it to me in an update. I couldn't change colors of my trails, again in an update. The list is very long for all they updated via software. I really am impressed with all the New Lowrance units especially the Next Gen ones. But I think at the end of the day I'm going back to Humminbird because of the way I was treated. They didn't just forget about their customers with old units and make us obsolete. Plus I have full confidence in their ability to upgrade and update to equal if not surpass the competition. Don't be surprised to see the equivalent of Structure map soon, maybe even a software update.

You can also add the sonic hub to Lowrance, pretty cool.

that would be awesome

If the lowrance ss was all in 1 unit they'd be higher on my list. Bird has the easy disconnect that keeps all the wires together. Its no fun trying to turn the little knobs on the lowrance in the cold when you're disconnecting it.

They should of given you all that the first time. Lowrance has had trail colors for a decade.

These were all updates that came out years later. Zoom was a feature introduced with the 997's as was the recordings. I'm pretty happy getting free software updates to add functionality that was released years after I purchased my unit. Either way, seems like your just hating, but just wanted to clarify for the other readers.

I have both units currently on my boat I've used lowrance mostly in the past . Both units are close but the lowrance gives a clearer view of what your looking at and with the new mapping system would be my choice hands down

It is really nice that bird puts out updates for older units. I have one of the original SI units and they have done a lot to make it function like the newer units. The birds are made here in the USA too.