GearBits

It is a very cool device... Got it for my dad and he wears it to Bike and occasionally while boating. While you can use the on-board computer on a boat and a bike computer for trip info, this is a unit that lets you track all your travels...

It's pretty easy to use, once configured (you have to be outside to get a solid initial connection). Just wish there was a Mac USB connection so we could download all the info.

That's what I thought at first too. But the documentation on garmin's website is quite bad. The Forerunner should be able to record tracks for quite a period, but how many locations can be saved per track? At what rate? Once per seconde or ??? How many tracks can be recorded?
What is recorded for each location? The current coordinates but what else: Date, Time, Speed, Altitude, Direction? I have no idea.
There is some software to copy tracks to a PC. It uses some kind of XML format that stores the data. But what kind of XML file is it? GPX? And again what is stored per track and per location.
Indeed it is very interesting, but for now i keep a save pallm iiixe plus randmcnally to record my training.

I bought this thing about 2 months ago and I love it. I don't really use all the bells and whistles(like the virtual partner, or downloading my data to a computer), that stuff doesn't concern me too much. I'm sure one day I'll check it out. It says it will keep run history for up to two years. It keeps time, pace, dist. and calories in the history section. (maybe even more, I just haven't checked and I haven't read the manual). It is very light, like wearing a watch. Display is easy to read while running. Great training device, very helpful. I like knowing my pace, time, and distance while running or biking.

> I like knowing my pace, time and distance

Do know just that there are very cheap counter you can buy. Between 5 and 10 dollar.
They record the time, distance averge speeds etc while you bike.
The advance of the forerunner is that is records where you were at the same time. But no one seems to know what it records exactly...

I have been using this watch for over 2 1/2 months. I am a trail runner and thus run where there aren't usually mile markers and sometimes nothing but game track to run on. So, I like to know where I have been, elevation gain/loss, avg. pace, calories expended(measured based on my weight and effort[speed, distance, elev. change]. I constantly use the download feature. For my training program it is essential. As a matter of fact to-date I have run 140 mi. in 22:59:57 and burned 20149 calories.

I don't know why the one person is so considered with what it exactly records; however, I do know that the XML file is a derivative of GPX and works with topofusion software. It also records waypoints and some interval(enough that when I do switchbacks in less than 100 yards it catches them all).

Currently my only concerns are that the speaker has quit functioning and that there is moisture behind the screen. After I run my race on Saturday I'm sending it in for warranty service.

You can read more of my running review at
http://trail.ustrailrunner.com/content/view/5//

GOt this a while ago and to answer some of dohmen's questions the thing tracks the elevation, GSP position, pace/speed and time. If you use the software that comes with it you get a nice map for the trail you did, plus an elevation countour of the track, as well as the speed/pace. There are points and for each point you map each. If you use the navigation option it will also allow you to leave upto I believ3e 100 reference points to guide yourself back.

You can export XML files though not sure what the actuall format is since the software that comes with is good enought. But from what I see in the map from software ... the XML file would have a

time entry, GPS location, altitude ... the rest can be computed.