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I will just recharge the 201 when it goes below 6 hours of battery time, and try to run with a fully charged 201 as often as possible.If however this is your first GPS running device, it is a great start. I tried calling support to get an answer, but on 4 different days and times it was recommended that I call back at another time since the wait time was so long. I have to get a magnifying glass to try to read it, and still can't read it very well. Hopefully you will get as much use from it is I have gotten from the 201. The 205 only has an icon, with 4 display bars. I have had the 201 since 2003 and it has been very reliable, except recently it seems to go from "6 hours of battery time" to zero in about 40 minutes.
While it seems to acquire GPS signals much faster, the secondary menus are almost unreadable, with very small display fonts and terrible backlighting. In short, there are not enough "good, new" things about the 205 to have me throw out a perfectly good 201 that meets all my needs. So I decided to buy the Forerunner 205. So if 1 bar is on diplay, how much bettery time is left. But, if you are thinking of "upgrading" from a 201 to a 205 I wouldn't. Big mistake.
The 201 at least gives you a guess of how much battery time is left.
simply will not turn on, tried tech support at garmin but after an hour wait each time and then can't help you with that because you failed to register your product i thought i would give folks a heads up that the break after less than a year at least the three i have bought. i have bought several of these 205's, they worked great and i really hated to run without them but each one has died within a year of purchase.
Also, the Garmin functions as a speedometer whenever you take it on a bicycle ride - awesome. The device also has interesting features such as a "virtual partner" setting that helps you to run a certain pace over a certain distance. I love my Garmin Forerunner 205. It is great to be able to instantly see what pace you are running as well as your distance covered.
My only problem with the 301 is that the rubber plug that protects your usb plug from sweat and moisture broke off after about 9 months and as a result, I can no longer download anything to my computer. The 301 has the heart monitor with it the 205 doesnt. I have both of these devices. I love the old 301 due to the large face and ability to see things even when you are in the last miles of a marathon and your brain is oxygen deprived. That seems to be working fine. The hook ups to download to your computer are different as well. On the 205 you have a docking device that your garmin sits atop of and then that device plugs into your computer via usb.
The 205 doesn't have a plug on it, it has 4-5 copper contacts on the skin side of the device and you are supposed to wipe them off with a damp rag and let dry before using the docking station. Not a bad deal.
However, the new 205 is also nice in that I believe I have a better time finding satellites and maintaining a signal even when in woodsy or dense high rise bldg areas. For a mere $65 Garmin will let me send it back to them and send me a refurbished one.
They are both great in their own way. It continues to work as far as mapping and distance, laps etc and I can review the information but I can't download it.
I like them both and would recommend either. There is alot to be said for that.
On the 301 you plug directly from the device into the computer (USB).
And the resolution. Better tracking is fantastic (especially as I tend to do a lot of running in urban and wooded environments, with lots of tight turns), and the speed-of-lock is excellent (I had it out of the box, turned on, and tracking in all of one minute--in a moving car). Great job, Garmin. Screen has shrunk a bit from previous models, but it more than makes up with the greater pixel count--more information, less scrolling, more running for me. but what I really like is the re-engineered design. Being able to EASILY pair distance with time elapsed, and being able to stop both at the touch of a very easily-locatable button, is great for water stops and intersections.Also, the shape--no more lozenge, no longer feels like strapping a standard unit to my arm--this was MADE for runners.
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