Garmin Forerunner 201

Garmin Forerunner 201 - First Impressions (and more)
Joel McNamara - joelm @ eskimo dot com
December 28, 2003 - with February 15th through June 1, 2004 updates (~~strikethrough~~ content is old info that's been updated)

I finally got my hands on a Garmin Forerunner 201 the other day, and decided to do a quick Web write-up of my initial impressions (plus add follow-on information as time goes on). There's been a fair amount of Internet interest in this ~~elusive~~ little critter lately, and hopefully this review will answer a few questions. Special thanks to Jack Robson of Endless Pursuit for graciously loaning me one of the first models to arrive in Central Oregon.

(Shameless plug - If you're into GPS, check out my book GPS for Dummies which should be hitting the bookstore shelves by June 2004)

Latest Forerunner News

6/1/04 - It's been awhile since I've updated this page and I'm going to be putting it into hibernation. The Forerunner has been on the market for a good half a year, lots of people have them now, and there's a heck of a lot more known about the capabilities and limitations of the little beasties. If after reading through this page you want to learn more about the Forerunner, I strongly suggest you subscribe to the Yahoo! Group called GarminF (don't forget to read through the Web-based archives to come up to speed on past topics). I also recommend www.gpsrunner.net. Big John, who started the GarminF group, put together this Web site devoted to using GPS for running and other sports. I consider both essential resources for a current of prospective Forerunner owner.

3/5/04 - Yet another firmware release for the Forerunner 201 (this one is version 3.2). There's also a new Yahoo! Groups starting up called GarminF that's devoted to the Forerunner (I just signed up for it, details later).

3/2/04 - So, Garmin has now introduced the Forerunner 101. Same as the 201, but cheaper price, runs on AAA batteries, and no PC interface. I'm sorry, GPS receivers that don't have a PC interface are a waste of time. While I realize some users won't use the Logbook or other software packages to interface their Forerunner (or whatever GPS receiver they're using), no PC connectivity means you have a dead-end GPS unit. Look at the number of firmware updates the Forerunner 201 has had already (or the number of firmware upgrades any GPS model has over the first few years of its product life). No PC interface means no updates! Garmin has already gone down this route with the Geko 101, and apparently has had some success. Obviously there is a segment of the marketplace that is price conscious and wants to save 20 or 30 bucks. And it's very likely this consumer group doesn't know the first thing about how updated firmware can fix bugs or add enhanced features. Rant mode off for now, and I'll step away from my soapbox. In other news, version 2.2 of the Logbook software is now available. This looks like a minor bug fix, with no major feature additions. For you Linux users out there, Steve Mathezer turned me on to a Perl script that works for downloading Forerunner data. It's available at: http://www.w-beer.de/pub/garman/garman (set your serial port correctly and run with -dtrk). Steve's working on other Linux solutions and I'll post info about them when they're available.

2/25/04 - What happens when the Forerunner loses satellite signals during a snowshoe race and other field test ruminations.

2/20/04 - I've had several people email me asking about what happens to the time and distance totals when the Forerunner loses satellite signals. That's an excellent question. I'll be running some tests on a known course over the next few days and will publish the results here. Also Garmin released the third firmware upgrade to the Forerunner, version 3.1. This fixes the lockup problem some users have been reporting using the Logbook software.

2/19/04 - I got a little annoyed at the Garmin Logbook program because it wouldn't do some things I wanted it to and wrote a small utility called 4XMLExtract that pulls workout summary and track data from a Logbook XML file and saves it to a comma-delimited text file. You can then play with the data in a spreadsheet, database, or map program. You can download 4XMLExtract here.

2/15/04 - If you purchased a Forerunner between November and now, Garmin has already released two firmware upgrades that you should definitely download and install. In addition, the long awaited Logbook software is now available. First impressions below.

Introduction

I've been working out for the past several months with a Garmin Geko 201 mounted on an armband (courtesy of Endless Pursuit), mostly cross country skiing and running; it's winter here in Central Oregon, so my mountain and road bikes are hibernating. The Geko system has worked pretty well, serving as a GPS data logger for collecting track points that I upload to Endless Pursuit or TopoFusion to analyze my workouts. The Geko is small, lightweight, and I usually can't tell it's there when it's strapped to my upper arm. I've also had pretty good luck with satellite reception wearing the receiver on my arm when in open and treed areas (keep in mind that Central Oregon doesn't have the dense tree canopies as those found on the west side of the Cascades).

Over the past few ~~days~~ months I've been doing some cross-country skiing (skate skiing to be exact) and running with the Forerunner strapped to my wrist and the Geko strapped to my arm to provide a baseline for comparison. (This should only be done by those who are secure with their inner nerdiness, considering the looks you get from people as you're pushing buttons on the weird green thing on your arm and the gray box on your wrist, waiting to get a satellite lock. If you live in a paranoid part of the country, be prepared to tell the friendly police officer that you were only clearing your track log and resetting the trip odometer, as he searches you for things that go boom and asks if you've ever been to the Middle East.)

Alright, time to cut the comedy and get to the initial impressions...

The Price

Manufacturer's suggested retail price is $160.70 in U.S. dollars; why the extra 70 cents, who knows. The street price is considerably less, and I've seen them on Amazon for $124. This is a pretty decent price for everything the Forerunner provides. The Forerunners are in pretty hot demand right now, and there seems to be a pretty big backlog on orders. (2/15/04 - The Forerunners are shipping and lots of people have them now. Amazon.com has a bunch of user reviews.)

The Competition

The Timex Bodylink used to be the only kid on the block that offered GPS technology for runners and bikers. Garmin has upped the ante, undercutting the Bodylink price by around a hundred bucks, and putting everything into one device (the Bodylink uses an armband GPS receiver that sends signals to a wrist watch). Timex does have an integrated heart rate monitor (HRM), but if the Forerunner does well, you just have to know Garmin is going slip an HRM in the 301 or 401. (And since we're talking about Garmin and Timex, I would have loved to have been a fly on the boardroom wall, as Garmin originally supplied the GPS technology for the Timex product, then decided to come out with one of their own. Hey, that's free enterprise I guess. Word on the street is Timex is now cozy with an up and coming GPS receiver company who has some pretty slick technology. I'm waiting to see what Timex unveils in 2004.)

The Physical Dimensions

I'm not going to regurgitate the manufacturer specs, but this is by far the smallest, lightest, and thinnest GPS receiver with a display I've seen (the Casio watch doesn't count). Here's a couple of pictures of it next to a Geko to give you a better idea of size and thickness (that big black thing is the strap).

Running and skiing with the Forerunner on your wrist really isn't that noticeable because it's so light; under three ounces.

However, you will not want to use the Forerunner as your everyday watch. It makes the Suunto Vector aka Hockey Puck watch look streamlined in comparison. I noticed the Forerunner kept wanting to smack into doorframes, furniture, and other objects when I was wearing it indoors because it does definitely protrude from your wrist. It's small and thin for a GPS receiver, but not compared to your everyday watch. (Here's a size comparison photo with an old Timex Ironman, the Forerunner, and a Polar Coach - would you buy a watch from this man?)

2/15/04 - Polar has some interesting competition for the Forerunner coming up, the s625x. It's not GPS, but uses a foot pod similar to the Nike Triax SDM or FitSense devices. The s625x intrigues me with it's built-in barometric altimeter, pace and distance features, and Polar quality heart rate monitor. I think the downloading your data to your Nokia cell phone is a bit bogus, so call me old school.

The Cool Features

You're still reading this review, good for you, so I guess your reward is a list of features I think are hot, including:

Display - Big, bold, easy to read numbers oriented in landscape mode. I like it a lot!
Easy to use - Just press the start button at the beginning of your workout and the stop button at the end (and optionally the lap button if your workout involves splits). Very simple.
Accuracy - So far the distance and pace numbers seem to be corresponding with reality.
Pace - Unlike most everyone else who are into miles or kilometers per hour, runners are a little weird and like to use pace; as in how many minutes per mile am I going. Figure 20 minute miles are walking, 10 to 12 minute miles are jogging, sub 7:00 is speedy, and so on. It's pretty cool to look down and see exactly what your pace is.
Auto Pause - There are three types of runners. Those who don't care about elapsed time, those who track their elapsed time, and those anal, detailed minded folks that are clicking their timers off and on every time they stop (such as for stoplights, trains, bathroom breaks, etc.). The Auto Pause feature automatically does this for you whenever you stop so you can know how much time you really spent running.
Auto lap - This nifty feature lets you select a distance and the Forerunner will automatically save lap data without you needing to press the lap button. For example if you were running a marathon you could set the Forerunner to automatically save data every mile. After the race you could look at your splits and the pace per split.
Alerts - You can set a number of different alerts to go off based on time, speed, or distance; a handy feature for telling you when to eat or drink or go faster or slower.
History - The Forerunner tracks your workouts and you can view them on its display screen by day or by week. Each workout has the data, time of day, elapsed time, average pace, calories burned, and a breadcrumb map of your route. You even get a cumulative total amount of time and distance.
Navigation features - If you've used a GPS receiver in the past, the navigation features are relatively weak (however they exist, compared to the Timex Bodylink which doesn't have any). Waypoints are supported as are tracks and there's a go-to display for waypoints, complete with the direction you need to head and distance; this is perfect for stealth, speed geocaching. It's also handy if you get lost, since there's a feature that will help you backtrack to your starting point.
IPX7 - That means you can dunk it in water that's 1 meter deep for 30 minutes and it still should survive. I just got done skiing in some pretty heavy snow, and the Forerunner didn't melt (or even fog up, as some early models were rumored to). Just don't take your Forerunner to the pool for your Masters swim workout though, it's not designed for swimming or diving.
2/15/04 - The 3.0 firmware revision has some more interval training options that are described in the revised user manual.

The Iffy Features

OK, now how about what don't I like about the Forerunner? This list is a little shorter and goes like this:

Virtual Partner - In a nutshell you set a certain pace and distance, and a little animated man runs on the screen with you at that pace and the screen displays how far ahead of your virtual training you are. The idea is you're racing the little guy, trying to stay ahead of him (or her, it's hard to tell from the block of pixels). Personally I find this a little hokey and doubt too many serious runners will use this feature.
No volume control for the beep - Unfortunately it is either beep on or beep off, with no volume adjustment when you're running in noisy environments. (2/15/04 - Garmin has addressed this in a firmware upgrade making the beep louder. There's still no volume control though.)
Running specific - I know, it's called the ForeRUNNER and it's supposed to be for running, but it just cries out to have some multi-sport features. Yes you can use it biking and in other outdoor sports, but. Calories burned uses the standard formula for runners. Power output in watts is the big thing in bike training these days and this could be calculated and displayed. There's no way to differentiate between different types of workouts when the history is displayed; and I'd like to split out my running, biking, and skiing distances and times. (I'm hoping the training software you install on your PC will have the ability to add comments and maybe differentiate between running, biking, and other activities - 2/15/04 - bummer, no such luck with the Logbook software, see below).
Map mode - If you've used a GPS receiver before, the Forerunner has a map page that displays tracks. I personally doubt many runners will use this feature because the breadcrumb trail map just doesn't offer that much utility.
Logbook - (2/15/04) Sucks! Considering the delay with the software I was expecting a little bit more. It's extremely primitive and doesn't let you differentiate between different activities (biking, running, skiing, etc.) or persons using the Forerunner. That's right, if you and your significant other share the Forerunner or you bike and run, all of your data is going to be merged all together in the history. I wouldn't have been that difficult to put a couple of fields in the records that could have sorted the records. The track analysis that shows your route is a joke (just a line with dots that shows a rough outline of the course) and altitude chart is pretty useless (the elevation display isn't scalable and really doesn't provide much information). Both of these displays look identical to MapSource track properties, so my guess is Garmin is leveraging internal code. Maybe Garmin will figure it out better with the next release, but it's clear whoever designed the interface software wasn't a serious athlete or runner. The only saving grace to this disappointing piece of logging software is the program has the ability to export data to an XML file. In looking at the output (you can open the XML file up with any word processor or text editor), it seems pretty easy to parse, so my guess is in the coming weeks and months, various runners with programming skills will start producing freeware and shareware utilities that use the data produced by Logbook and do something a little more useful with it. As utilities are released, I'll mention them here:

4XMLExtract (2/19/04) - I wrote this quick and dirty Windows utility to extract workout summary and track data from a Logbook XML file and save it to a comma-delimited text file. That means you can manipulate and use Forerunner data in a spreadsheet, database, or map program. You can download a Zip file containing the program and the Readme file at: ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/j/joelm/4XMLExtract.zip

Here's a screenshot from the Garmin Logbook software (and that's pretty much all there is to it, no other data windows or display options).

Custom Page Data - (2/15/04) - It's related more to the above whining, but all of that cool data you can set in the custom page such as grade, rest distance, fastest speed, etc.) aren't dumped out to the Logbook software

Satellite Reception

No problems yet; at least in open spaces and light tree cover. So far the Forerunner and the Geko have performed identically in terms of satellite reception. This doesn't surprise me, since they're both likely using the same patch antenna. And while the Forerunner isn't closer to the sky as the Geko when it's tucked in its armband, the fact that it's worn parallel to the ground (which is the optimum position for patch antennas), may be beneficial for reception purposes. Hopefully I'll be venturing out into some bad satellite reception country soon, and will update this section.

2/15/04 - I've noticed that satellite lock takes a little bit longer than a "conventional" GPS receiver. And definitely don't be in motion while the Forerunner is trying to initially acquire satellites. Unless you are stationary, it has a very difficult time getting an initial lock.

2/15/04 - I've got it to lose satellites a couple of times, but it has recovered pretty well. I'm still impressed with the reception of this little guy. Remember, aside from automotive navigation systems where the GPS receiver is coupled with the Vehicle Speed Sensor, any GPS receiver is going to have problems reporting accurate data when the sky is blocked.

Field Test Ruminations

2/25/04 - I wore the Forerunner on a 6+ hour informal snowshoe, adventure race last weekend and came back with a few interesting observations. First off Garmin is correct. The Forerunner will currently only record 3,000 track points. When it hits the magic 2,999 number, it starts replacing the oldest recorded track points with the newest points. By looking at the downloaded track log, I figure I lost about an hour of data. So, ultrarunners, hikers, and cyclists who are planning on going over 5 hours, and want to use their tracks with a map program, prepare to lose data. Unfortunately at the present there's no way to change the track point recording rate to record less points over more time. (This is only track data that is lost, the Forerunner continues to log cumulative distance and speed.)

Second, I had lots of instances losing satellite reception due to tree cover while traveling off trail (this wasn't thick canopy either, which I was a little surprised at). The Forerunner will beep at you and display a message that says there's poor satellite coverage. You can press the enter button or just not worry about it; the message will go away when the Forerunner starts receiving GPS signals again. The timer continues to keep accurate elapsed time when satellite reception is lost, but the speed and distance information patiently waits for enough satellites to become available again before resuming count. (I really didn't get a sense of satellite reacquisition time because I was too busy trying to avoid face planting in the snow.) What this means is your total distance and average speed aren't going to be as precise. How far off from reality they are depends on how often you lose the satellites. The more satellite signal loss, the less accurate your data becomes.

Tip - You can increase your accuracy of your data by downloading the Forerunner track log with a program like TopoFusion (the developers are adding some cool new features such as reporting average speed, max speed, climbing distance, and other metrics handy for athletes). TopoFusion and other programs measure the distance between track points to get total distance. This is typically more accurate than the built-in trip computers on many GPS receivers. When a GPS receiver has poor satellite coverage, it stops recording tracks. When the satellite reception resumes, the track collecting starts again. If you're traveling in a straight line when you lose satellite coverage, the total distance isn't going to be off very much since the distance between the last point recorded and the current point is going to be mostly the same, no matter how many points were lost in between. However if you're zigzagging or turning a lot and lose satellite coverage, expect your distance to be less accurate because a straight line will still be assumed between the last recorded and current track points. Make sense?

Another interesting observation has to do with the Forerunner's "pause when stopped" feature. I had it on and the amount of time it said I had stopped and rested was way off (it was a race after all, and trust me, I didn't take over 2 hours of breaks). I'm guessing that the sometimes the slow speed of snow shoeing, especially breaking trail cross country and going up hills, happened to be under some preset speed threshold and the Forerunner thought a bunch of that time was me sitting around being lazy. Using the downloaded track data gave me a much more accurate representation of rest time.

Bottom line - Expect inaccuracy in speed and distance information if you're traveling in areas where satellite coverage is poor or intermittent. However, you can download and analyze the track data to get a higher level of accuracy, for any outings that last less than 5 hours.

The Power

Wow, correct me if I'm wrong but I think this is the first handheld GPS receiver to be powered by a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. Cool! Kudos to Garmin for bringing the consumer GPS industry into the 1990's (think about all of those laptops, PDAs, and cell phones out there that have been using Lithium Ion batteries for how long?). The battery is rated to last 15 hours for typical use. Since I'm only still on the first charge, we'll see. Charge time is supposed to be 1 to 3 hours.

The charger consists of a cable, transformer, and a plastic housing that snaps on to the back of the Forerunner (this seems pretty cheesy and it would have been better to have a PDA-type cradle, but it seems like Garmin was trying to keep the costs down). This is what it looks like:

The battery doesn't seem to be replaceable. I personally don't think this is a very big deal. Lets say you're logging some serious running and biking mileage each week, on the level of training for Ironman. If the battery lasts 15 hours, you're going to need to charge it once a week. Based on other devices that use Lithium Ion batteries you're easily going to get a least somewhere between 2 and 5 years years of use out of it before the battery tanks. And by that time Garmin will have the Forerunner 901 out, with a fuel cell battery that powers the GPS receiver, heart rate monitor, blood monitor (glucose and lactic acid), video camera, and cell phone, that you'll want to upgrade to anyway.

2/15/04 - My Forerunner never shows above 13 hours, but I've never clocked its exact battery life. Keep in mind that the Lithium Ion battery will discharge, even when you're not using the device (just like a laptop or cell phone). I personally think the 15 hours is a bit optimistic.

The PC Interface

The Forerunner comes with combination charging and serial port data cables - you plug the serial cable into a receptacle on the charging cable; see the illustration above. Since the Forerunner doesn't support maps, you really don't need USB to speed things up and serial communications are fine. The Forerunner has the same type of pin configuration as the eTrex and Geko, but a data cable for one of those models won't work since there's no groove in the Forerunner body to slide the connector on. You're got to use the charging/interface unit, which is a piece of plastic that snaps around the Forerunner and is pictured with the charging cable above.

~~Even though the Logbook software isn't currently available~~, it appears Garmin is using their standard communications protocol. I was able to successfully download the active track log using GPS Utility and TopoFusion; both set up to speak Garmin versus NMEA. (For some reason ~~G7toWin and~~ MapSource refused to communicate with the Forerunner, stating an unknown track format. - 2/15/04 - MapSource 5.4 still refuses to download tracks but will get waypoints. The latest version of G7toWin does successfully download tracks from the Forerunner though. I assume the next upgrade release of MapSource will deal with this issue, considering third party applications can successfully interface with the Forerunner. If you want to get your tracks to MapSource now though, there is a workaround. Use G7toWin to snag the tracks, save the tracks to a PCX format file, then import the file with MapSource. Your Forerunner tracks are now displayed.)

One note on the ~~active~~ track log, there's no way to clear it without deleting all of your workout information. It also appears as if the tracks associated with each workout are being stored sequentially in the active track log. So if you want to overlay the tracks in a third-party map program, you're likely need to do some editing. The number of tracks that are being stored appear to be pretty close to what the Geko is storing in auto mode. The last track sequence saved doesn't appear to be compressed as Garmin typically does with saved tracks, but ~~I'm suspecting~~ prior track sequences ~~may~~ get condensed ~~(I don't have enough evidence to be 100% sure though)~~. If you delete a workout from the Forerunner history, it will remove its associated tracks from the active track log. I'm hoping the Logbook software addresses the track issue so you can easily export track data out of a workout and then into MapSource, TopoFusion, or other third-party software. 2/15/04 - Nope. Aside from the XML output, the Logbook software will not export the track data in any of the common GPS data exchange formats. As mentioned previously, I'm sure utilities will be showing up soon that will do this.

2/15/04 - Based on the 3.0 firmware upgrade, it appears the Forerunner is now collecting more track points than previously, which means finer granularity when you upload tracks to a map program such as TopoFusion. Also, in the revised user manual that came out in February (with the 3.0 firmware upgrade), Garmin talks a little bit more about tracks and storage capacity.

The Strap

Big, black and lots of Velcro, with what looks like green reflective material on the edges. This is by far the crudest part of the sophisticated Forerunner. My experience with Velcro watchbands is the Velcro starts to wear out after a year or so of daily use and then its time to replace the strap (or risk having the watch fall off your arm). Garmin has a watchband listed as an accessory in case it wears out, but the Forerunner uses standard watch pins to hold the strap on, so you can use another type of watchband if you like. Runners whose wrists get irritated by nylon webbing bands may want to replace the watchband with something else right off the bat. I'm guessing come summer-time in the hot weather, this band is going to get pretty sweaty. The Forerunner comes with an extension piece of webbing in case you have big wrists. You could probably also use it for wearing the Forerunner over a snowmobile suit or some other big and puffy piece of clothing.

The Buttons

The Forerunner has six small buttons mounted on the side of the unit below the screen (they're about the size of the smaller buttons on the Geko). All are rubber encased and look pretty weatherproof. Garmin apparently learned their lesson with the power button problems on the Gecko 101/201 models. The power button has a lower profile than the other buttons and would be pretty hard to accidentally turn on or off. Personally I would have liked easy to press, big, honkin' start/stop and lap buttons mounted on the face instead of the side, but maybe I'm just picky (I've always used Timex watches and Polar heart rate monitors). The little buttons are kind of a pain to use when you're wearing gloves. - 2/15/04 - I continue to think the buttons are a weak part of the design and I'm not going to change my mind on this.

The Huh? Stuff

There are some things that Garmin never really addresses in the documentation or on the Web site, such as:

There's no real indication of how many workouts you can store in the Forerunner. Obviously the amount of data associated with a workout can't be fixed and will vary depending on the number of laps and the track data. The Garmin Web site says, "Stores up to approximately 2 years of training histories." That seems pretty darn, marketing-slime vague to me. How many workouts a week is that and of what duration? - 2/14/04 - According to the revised user manual, this is equivalent to running 48, one mile laps every week for two years. I'm too tired to try to do the math to figure out how much memory that would take up.
There's no telling how many laps you can have in a workout. What's with that? Every single sports-oriented watch on the market lists the number of laps it can support; which is based purely on the amount of available memory. I haven't been motivated yet to keep pressing the lap button to find out if there's a limit. - 2/15/04 - Ah ha! The revised version of the user manual (for the 3.0 firmware) has some new information. Up to 5,000 laps in memory.
And one last little dig for Garmin not having the Logbook software available when they shipped the Forerunner (small quantities started trickling out to market in November). Garmin has said the software, which will allow you to analyze your workouts, will be available in early January 2004. I hope so. The Forerunner was announced in August and retailers were expecting to have it for the busy Christmas season, but for whatever reason, it looks like the Forerunners won't be in wide distribution until 2004. This log software is going to be an important part of the product and key to its future success. So, show me the software! (I'll add a separate review section when Garmin makes the Logbook program available on its Web site.) 2/15/04 - We now know what the Logbook software is all about, see above, and it's really too bad Garmin didn't have its act together. There's hope they'll eventually get it right though (if you remember some of the early software Polar released with its heart rate monitors).

Forerunner Compared to Traditional GPS Receivers

This is for the GPS geeks in the audience who are asking how does the Forerunner compare to other GPS receivers? Let's make a quick list (and Garmin or anyone else, if I've made any boo-boos, let me know). Here goes:

100 waypoints (these are not called waypoints but locations).
No routes.
~~Unknown number of track points (~~in the user manual tracks are referred to as trails, which is a nod to Lowrance's terminology~~). Garmin seems to be moving toward 10,000 as a standard, but that's just idle speculation. If I get an opportunity, I'll try to max out the tracks and post the results. -~~ 2/15/04 - The revised user manual has the following info. The 10 most recent runs have a basic track log of up to 250 saved points. Your most recent run (one you have not reset) contains the most detailed track log with up to 3,000 points. I just got done with an 1:45 minute social cross country ski with lots of stops and the Forerunner recorded 1,150 track points. - 2/25/04 - 3,000 track points is indeed the max, confirmed by personal experience. Bummer, 10,000 would have been really nice.
No options to set track point recording granularity (time or distance). This is a big issue considering the limited number of track points available.
No command to clear the active track log. - 2/25/04 - Actually resetting does this and compresses the active track log.
No options for user-selectable map datums (I assume it's WGS-84).
No options for user-selectable coordinate systems (fixed latitude/longitude in degrees and decimal minutes).
No options for user-selectable data protocols (the Garmin protocol seems to work just fine though).
No electronic compass or barometer.
No GPS satellite status page.
No WAAS (I'm assuming this since it's not listed in the documentation and doesn't have any options to turn on or off). 2/15/04 - Definitely no WAAS, since they're bragging that the new Foretrex has it.
No games (thank goodness).
No calendar, sun and moon times, best hunting times, best fishing times, calculator, or lucky lottery number picker.

Yowzah, Skippy! You're probably thinking, "is this thing even a GPS receiver?" That was my initial reaction too, but the more I thought about it, the more I think Garmin is doing something smart. They've made a streamlined product designed for a singular purpose and cut out a lot of the things that have been included in GPS receivers up to this point. The documentation also reflects this by eliminating a bunch of the standard GPS jargon we all have come to know and love. I believe this is the wave of the future. While there will always be general purpose GPS receivers, you're going to start to see GPS devices that are targeted to less technical market segments, that eliminate things that those of us who read sci.geo.satellite-nav have come to expect all GPS receivers should have. And really, that's not a bad thing.

2/15/04 - Garmin has shoved a "real" Geko/eTrex GPS receiver into the Forerunner body and dubbed it the Foretrex. Cute...

Conclusion

So what do I really think based on playing with the Forerunner for a couple of days? Well, first some comments on the Forerunner versus the Geko.

In a way comparing the Forerunner and the Geko is a little like comparing apples and oranges. The Forerunner is definitely a niche product for athletes. It trades away a number of features found in most GPS receivers for ease of use and specialized features for runners. It acts as a coach, providing you with real time feedback about what's going on with your workout as well as letting you set workout goals and stick to them. The Forerunner also is a data logger, collecting and storing information about your workouts (and uploading it to the Logbook software when it becomes available).

The Geko on the other hand is a small, general purpose GPS receiver that can be used by athletes. It acts as a data logger for your workouts, and by running software on your PC, you can get most of the statistical data provided by the Forerunner if not more. What you can't get from the Geko is the real time coaching information.

For me I'd be more comfortable taking a Geko on a long trail run out in the boonies (especially in places I've never been before), because of its advanced navigation capabilities and the fact you can carry spare batteries. I'd be perfectly happy using a Forerunner on more civilized runs and using it to fine tune my pacing.

So, here's my bottom line recommendations:

If you're an athlete and care less about using a GPS receiver for navigation, get a Forerunner. Considering its features and capabilities, it's a pretty reasonably priced training tool. (2/24/04 - If you frequently trail run under heavy tree canopy, in canyons, or urban areas with lots of sky obstructions, you're probably going to get frustrated because of poor satellite coverage.)
If you can only afford one GPS receiver and want to use it for workouts and navigation get a Geko. It's small, affordable and versatile. 2/15/04 - I'd personally favor the Geko over the newly announced Foretrex. The thought of relying on a GPS receiver for navigation that has a rechargeable battery you can't replace out in the middle of nowhere kind of bothers me.
Or, as I'm sure Garmin would like you to do, buy them both. (Actually I'd probably get the Forerunner for training and a GPS receiver with a larger screen and mapping capabilities for other activities. When it comes to full-size receivers, you really can't go wrong with any of the models from the Big Three - Garmin, Magellan, and Lowrance).

Two final caveats - First off, I reserve the right to change any of the above opinions after putting some more miles on the Forerunner and seeing the Logbook software (2/15/04 - yuck). Second, from trashing my body over the years doing different endurance sports, I personally believe you should first buy a heart rate monitor (HRM) and then consider getting some type of a GPS training system. The HRM will give you more bang for your training buck. I look at the Forerunner as a way to better understand your performance and fine tune your workouts, especially when used in conjunction with a HRM. Just remember that any electronic device is simply a tool, and discipline and smart training are really the keys to increasing your fitness.

2/15/04 - After more time spent with the Forerunner, I still think it's a good training tool (aside from the not so great Logbook software) and probably worth your hard earned money (as long as you understand the limitations the GPS receivers, and don't get frustrated when they drop satellite signals or aren't perfectly accurate).

There are obviously more Forerunner features and details that I didn't end up discussing, so if you're interested you can download a PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader) version of the user manual at: http://www.garmin.com/products/manual.jsp?product=010-00328-00

If you have any questions or comments and send me email, please be patient when it comes to a reply. I'm currently writing a book about GPS and digital maps that will be out in the spring, and my publisher has me on a pretty tight deadline. I slammed out this review of the Forerunner between Christmas and New Years as a break from "real" writing and to give me an excuse to research the product a bit for a chapter on GPS and athletes.

2/15/04 - I'm getting ready to go into final author's review with the book. Watch for GPS and Maps for Dummies in May, 2004...

2/25/04 - Dave Aiello posted a nice mention of this review on his Operation Gadget Web site. This is a cool resource for anyone interested in the latest cool electronic toys; including a section solely devoted to fitness gadgets. Check it out...

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