Anyone who does significant woodworking or boat projects has almost
certainly found themselves doing more sanding than they'd really like.
I've done a lot over the years and the more I do, the less I like it.
There are three main issues: Dust/dirt, noise and vibration. After
owning and using almost every type and brand, I've finally found one
that makes the best of a bad job:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018Z8D64

It has the best dust collection and the least vibration of anything
I've ever used and it also has decent power for small to mid-sized
jobs.

I also own a Bosch quarter sheet sander for doing fine finish work and
it is an excellent product also.