Do I need a new heart rate monitor watch? No. But I want one!

I only have about 15 heart rate monitor watches so I've been thinking...I sure could use another one! I've heard some buzz (or is it more of a thump-thump?) about this particular beauty....the Mio watch that incorporates the 3500 Calorie Countdown Program, which (theoretically) calculates how many calories you are burning each day and counts down from 3500 to 0 and tells you when you have (theoretically) burned a pound of fat. I'm not sure exactly how it does that but I am guessing I will have to crack some kind of flashing-LED code to figure how to enter my height, weight, and favorite color into the watch, then wave a magic wand over it, turn around three times, click my heels, and drink a raw egg or something to make it work. Luckily I am married to an electronics geek so I don't really addle my pretty little head with such details, I just give it to him and then pester incessantly about when he will be done so I can have it back. But I do wonder if there is a setting that will play a little song whenever I hit 3500 calories burned. That would be cool. I wonder if it would play Jambalaya.

ANYHOO, I'm stumped on which one to buy. Well, first I'm stumped on whether I should even get one. This article gives it an average customer rating of 3 out of 5 stars. Not stellar, but I am intrigued by the calorie countdown feature and the fact that there is not a chest strap requirement. The Mio website claims that Consumer Reports liked it.

So that brings me to the issue of which one? I'm going to level with you here - I'm super cheap, so I want the most uber-fancy model they have for like $4. My options are:

So. Questions.

Does anyone out there have one of these? Would you recommend it? Is the 3500 Calorie Countdown Program legit and worth the hype?

I currently have a Timex Personal Trainer Heart Rate watch that requires a strap but works well and is rated well as well. (I think that was a personal best on number of times using the word "well" in one sentence, just sayin.)

So if the calorie countdown program is just "eh" then I'll probably stick with the Timex.

I mean, usually I just wear my calculator watch anyway.

Whaddya think? Let me know! The future of my wrist depends on it!