cheap looper recommendation

["Michael Peters" <mpeters@csi.com>]

There are several small and _relatively_ inexpensive looping stompboxes
around today, some of them have been reviewed at LD ... I'd like to
recommend one to a friend who wants to get into looping as cheap as 
possible
but I'm a little confused by the many choices. (A side-by-side comparison
chart would be great.) He probably wouldn't use the looper for extended
frippertronics style improvs or solo looping shows but rather to simply
develop live rhythm tracks to improvise on top later. What would be the
best/cheapest looper for that purpose?

-Michael