I did find a video comparing several of the suggestions, or their one step up model and spent the last hour or so of work watching it, don't tell my boss! After watching this and few other videos I am leaning toward the Mustang at this point but while most options are under $200 I don't want to jump the gun, will give my brain and ears a few days to think things over.
Great call on downloading a manual for each, I have a fairly technical background and have yet to find a piece of electronics I can't figure out eventually but in all of the videos I see them "fiddling" with a bunch of dials and see lights moving around but I'm not really sure what they are doing.
Going to a store is not out of the question but I don't have near enough confidence to try to play anything at all in the store, I'm sure a sales rep would be willing to help me out but there is still that first day at school where do I sit at lunch feeling. I actually drove right past Sweetwater over the weekend but didn't have time to stop, in hindsight I should have made time.
Again thanks for all the information, my mind isn't made up yet so feel free to throw any and all suggestions my way, it seems with amps preferences are more subjective than pizza toppings.