Woodster is probably right on that, 3 years ago this type of equipment was well over $1k, now it's on sale for $300. I carry a good handheld radio (ICOM IC-M36) and keep it in the cockpit, but the small antenna often fails to pick up transmissions that the shipboard radio easily catches (even some coastguard broadcasts)
Since I often find myself out sailing at night in Long Island Sound and occasionally in Block Island Sound where there is a steady but moderate flow of commercial shipping traffic the AIS receiver is something that I've always wanted, as is having cockpit access to the ships VHF and it's superior transmit / receive range compared to the handheld, but primarily my reason for upgrading is the AIS (also, when I replaced my old standard horizon only a year and a half ago, there were no AIS capable units I could find that would fit in the space I currently have my VHF, this one does fit).