Most people choose the 296 or 496/495 because Garmin already own all of aviation and will very soon own the entire world.
I have the 496 yoke-mounted (for its TAWS feature) and it is OK but the screen is small.
I also have the KMD550 MFD which is identical to a Skymap III in its map presentation and I find that much better than the Garmin. However the Skymap III has no batteries.
An absolutely key feature of a GPS is a large moving map because that is where your situational awarenes comes from.
Therefore, I would have a very good look at the Avmap EKP IV. I have not flown with it but the map beats anything else currently out.
Contrary to what many people say, especially the anti-GPS crowd, one does not interact all that much with the GPS during flight. The route is programmed in at the start and one flies the plane as normal (maintaining a heading) while tracking the magenta line. One doesn't sit there head down pressing buttons etc. And the bigger the moving map is, the more brief the interaction is because you get the essential info on a plate.