Two Ways Of Looking At It
The barrel-grip jigsaw gives you more control and "feel".
My experience, FWIW.
I had the previous generation Bosch barrel-grip and liked it.
Unfortunately I accidentally killed it.
Repairing it wasn't cost-effective so I started my research tour.
(I HATE replacing tools!!)
That's what led me to be in the position to compare three different jigsaws -2 Bosch and the Makita.
I prefer Makita gear.
Everything with a small high-RPM motor that I own is Makita.
As for the Bosch - if you're looking at the previous generation Bosch, get the Makita.
The Makita's a little smoother.
And quieter.
The quick-eject feature is good.
And that LED strikes me as handy.
BUT --
If you're looking at the current generation Bosch, it's that much better than the Makita and the same price (at least here in Toronto it is...)
So --
the answer is - it depends.
On your budget.
Your hand size - the Bosch is definitely beefier.
Your ability to withstand the vibration.
My 2C.
Howard
Be careful...two different Ridgids now available
I have the German made Ridgid and like it very much. I got it mostly due to the price vs. quality (at the time it was $100.). Be warned though. It had been sold out at my local HD for quite a while. When I saw they had gotten some in, I picked it up and brought it home. After opening the case, I discovered it looked different than the one I had seen before. Upon further investigation, this was a new model, R3121 and made in China. I ended up ordering the Metabo-made R3120 through the website and took the other back. They are both available currently through the web.