Garmin Forerunner 205 Review : GPS Receiver and Sports Watch

Just when you thought Garmin had stepped on powerful and affordable cornered, and effective wrist-mounted GPS devices, here is the Garmin Forerunner 205 The release of these devices is an important achievement of point of view of design and technology. It is not just about marketing, and the Forerunner 205 is the most accurate wrist and reliable energy, and GPS tracking tool we’ve ever tested together.

Yes, it is so good. While none of this compact instrument can do (yet) that pushes the limits of 205, that something tied around the wrist as possible. During the 205 no rhythm or cardiac problems and offers wireless speed/cadence sensor Garmin – for this, you face the Forerunner 305 – but it is a great way to get basic GPS location and data performance. demo video profile Garmin Forerunner.

Design

Design 205 is a radical break with the previous generation of wrist mounted Garmin GPS, which reached a climax with the three hundred and first Garmin Forerunner While the 301 delivered accurate heart rate monitoring, good performance tracking, and decent GPS receiver, did not quite deliver in the design department. The form factor is large and the port was not very different from recording a full-scale duct system GPS to your wrist. Not so with the 205th Engineers Garmin obviously burned the midnight oil and have a waterproof design that, certainly not as small as a sports watch, feels just as comfortable to come.

The curved casing allows the unit with the antenna toward the sky when you walk the face, while the large screen is perfect for display, positioned where you need it. And the screen is a Bravo years. Although smaller than the screen is on early precursors, its resolution is much higher, offering incredible clarity and sharpness. Garmin offers 205 elegant it a simple button layout and the buttons have a pleasant feel with good pressure response. The houses to the right of the menu selection and press ENTER, while houses left button of the backlight power / and a mode button.

This simple and elegant solution is a great improvement over the sometimes confusing button functionality of previous precedents. View button layout. The bottom of the 205 is pretty trivial, except for a number of contacts with the supplied charger and docking station data interface. The cradle is small and discreet, and its mini-USB port can be either an AC adapter or USB cable connects to your PC. In addition to transferring data using the USB cable, you can also charge the 205 built-in battery lithium-ion battery via a USB connection to your computer. GPS Performance

Great news about the Forerunner 205 is that it is an integrated, highly sensitive SiRFstarIII GPS receiver is. What does this mean? This means that 205 of the ability to retain both titles, and a lock on your position better than anything before it. After an initial battery charge, our product tester had the 205 on his wrist and was tracking speed and distance with GPS satellites within 3 minutes. The next time we used more than 205 satellites almost immediately. not a course through the dense trees to discourage the unit is, tracking remained true and steady. Performance on a bike was equally impressive. Regardless of witchcraft has been cooked by the designers of the SiRF technology, as we are!

simple dock allows charging and data connectivity a snap (Forerunner 305 model shown). In the table Forerunner 205 is not considered a device GPS navigation into account, it has some rudimentary mapping, waypoint marking, and routing functions. In addition to marking locations along your journey, you can reduce or enlarge a simple map that shows your current direction and path. There is also a place to go “feature that routes you back to your starting point or at any other location you have defined.

Once you have defined several locations, you can this information as a way to allow you to travel the same path in the future. As you can see below, are the 205 new “Courses” feature a new level of control over how you define your favorite runs and rides. Functions Training

The 205 is primarily a training tool, and its ability to make a ton of data types in a user environment, the intuitive and easy is organize, not a small thing. Whiz Bang Technology aside, if you can not use it and make it a part of your exercise routine, it is worthless. When it comes to these factors – and this is the message home on the 205 – This device is there to succeed where many other devices fail. The heart and soul of the 205 are on the screens of data you real time information on all aspects of your training. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data such as calories burned, distance, height, and position and the lap times and more speed modes.

Fortunately, the device makes it easy to define how much or little information on how you see during the training. You can use the data that is most important to you and then make that data appear front and center of the device. In fact, within minutes of the flight manual and play with the device setup, you have your important data that you want to view. Garmin Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous warning, they decided to keep a good thing with the 205th If you’re the type that best met when you got a competitor egging you, you’ll love this function, because it will set up virtual running or biking companions that can compete with you. If you’re after a workout complex with a variety of intervals and intensity, or just a quick three mile jog against your best time to search last week, which has 205 seats.

Navigating the menus of the unit offers training three options: Quick Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Training. A little exercise is just that, set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and pace of your scheduled training, and go. Interval training is the same, but you can add repetitions and rest between them. If you really want to exercise your imagination, you can skip the advanced training, the objectives for each stage as well as distance, time and rest periods are . You can use the Garmin Training Center to set up these workouts and then upload them to your device.

Pros:

Cons

PC Connectivity and Software

Garmin has been to equip their devices with USB connectivity for some time – a welcome step for those who have connections to the serial port rang in the old days. Thanks to USB, the 205 integrates seamlessly with the software Training Center and we quickly had workout history uploaded and stored on the PC (unfortunately Training Center is not Mac compatible).

In a first for the Forerunner series, the Training Center software, you can also have running on your PC that you download to the device. If the information shared with course information is combined training, the Forerunner is a comprehensive guide that tells you where to go when you make a turn and do the kind of training if you’re on a street or road. Back on the PC, the software’s ability to overlay workout data on maps of the trail is easy to see where the course offers challenging hills and spots easy recovery.

Plus is the ability of historical interpretation to a certain length of course, a great way to measure your progress. The 205 is also fully compatible with Garmin MotionBased service, which is your training at another level, giving your data to the Internet. Although we were unable to service, the promise of sharing courses, using maps, workouts, and performance data with other users is intriguing. And if you’re a serious endurance athlete, you’ll be pleased to know that the 205 is also compatible with peak training. com system, an easy-to-use Web-based training designed to help get athletes in all cases.

Strong Forerunner 205 Garmin Training Center CD-ROM, cradle, Expander strap, A/C charger, USB cable, user manual, quick start guide.