Option #2 is the same one I had 2 years ago. 898 on console and 596 on bow. I loved the setup except for the fact that I couldn't navigate to a waypoint from the front without turning around and trying to read the 898 from 9 feet away. Needless to say this was a major pain. As long as you don't mind no way to see your waypoints from the bow your option #2 is a good one. I loved the 596! I ended up getting frustrated with the turning around thing and sold the 596 and added another networked 898 on the bow. Since you can't do that I recommend option #2. There is a thread here somewhere that covers your option #1 and from what I read there are some major drawbacks to adding a monitor such as being able to see it in sunlight, waterproofing and weight. Someone said that by the time they ended up doing everything they needed to do to make a monitor work they came close to spending almost as much as another finder would have cost them.