From my review of Garmin's website, the Forerunner does NOT have a heart rate monitor. It is merely a distance/time performance assessment. Its benefit will be for those who work out or hike and wish to have a 3-D profile of the trip. The software is an unknown right now... no details on what it can or cannot do. If it is similar in functionality to Garmin's MapSource, it can download the time/distance/elevation data and generate a 2-D plot of the elevation profile. A free-standing 3rd party program (e.g., Height) may be necessary for 3-D plotting. The only physiologic parameter it addresses is calorie consumption, which is probably calculated in weight and age versus the motion data. Should know more by then end of 11/03 when the device actually ships. In the meantime, Polar and Suunto have good heart-rate monitors with altimeters which can give some insight for the non-flatland athlete.

You're right, Kent, and I'm sorry. I updated the story to reflect the actual features of the Forerunner 201.

I think you're comparing apples and oranges a bit here. Heart rate monitors appeal to athletes looking to train with a certain precision... usually a class of data junkies. The Forerunner offers a fun kind of help for those of us who want to go out the door and run where ever our feet take us. We still know how far we went, loads of pace data, and whether we met any pre-set distance and pace training goals. The virtual partner gives you a fun way of knowing if you're running as fast as you hoped (or too fast).

It isn't the same kind of physiologic precision as heart rate, but most of us relate a lot better to distance, pace, and the concept of a race. And, after all, I don't brag about keeping my heart rate in the target zone for 45 minutes. But running a PR makes me smile everytime, and the Forerunner lets me do that anytime, anywhere.

I disagree with the assumption that all heart rate monitor users are necessarily data junkies. I know a lot of people that use heart rate monitors only to stay within a target range for a period of time. These people are not journaling their exercise activities.

The folks that try to exercise in a heart rate zone are simply trying to maximize their fitness improvement in the time alotted. Nothing wrong with that. And, nothing wrong with using a gadget like the Forerunner 201 for the purposes that you suggest.

I have a Garmine Forerunner 201 and it is GREAT! It does not have a hear monitor or the Log Book Software. IMHO when it comes to features the Forerunner 201 beats everything on the market. The Virtual Partner and Auto Lap Setter is amazing!

Comparing a heart rate monitor and the Garmin forerunner is comparing apples and oranges. I am a serious data junkie and triathlete. I have a wonderful heart rate monitor (S520) which downloads, calculates calories, etc. But if I wear it out running on trails or on some new path that I am not familiar with, it does not tell me how far I ran. It is often quite valuable to know your pace, distance, elevation gain, etc. Even the best heart rate monitors do not do this. If you want an all in one heart rate monitor and speed/distance calculator that downloads, check out the timex bodylink, but be prepared-its much bigger than the Forerunner-and has three different parts that must be carried with you.

First I want to say that I think the email feedback and posted comments about the Garmin Forerunner have been great. I am really impressed with the level of interest in this device, and it has opened my eyes to a number of different perspectives on the feature sets of heart rate monitors and other fitness monitoring gadgets.

Tami Rogers made the comment that, with respect to running, "It is often quite valuable to know your pace, distance, elevation gain, etc. Even the best heart rate monitors do not do this." This is not really the case.

The Polar S710, S710i, and S720i all have altitude sensors in them that need frequent calibration, but have proven to be fairly accurate within workouts. I know because I have an S720i, and I've used it in a variety of conditions and altitudes.

I wish Polar would introduce a pedometer for the S7xx and S8xx HRMs that is similar to the Nike SDM pod that attaches one shoe. I think a device like that could fit into the top end of the S-Series without requiring very much in terms of firmware changes.

Another HRM that can measure distance and pace during runs is the Nike Triax Elite, which I have reviewed elsewhere on Operation Gadget. I'm pretty sure the Triax Elite does not do altitude, but not entirely certain.

I believe that I am missing one or two HRMs with some or all of these capabilities, but, I'll have to look for the information and follow up.

Pace and distance devices based on accelerometers are often dissapointing. They are based on assumptions about stride and running style that are often not true enough to allow for accurate calculations. They require calibration, and 20% or so of all runners can not make any decent use of them due to stride inconsistencies. Few or no runners can attain a 1% measurement error over time. For these devices, 5% would be a good result. Thats 5 times the error rate for GPS based devices.

Why not use both, a HRM and GPS-based speed/distance measuring. I'm using Polar S610 HRM with PPP-training software and Garmin Forerunner. I get exact distance and speed with automatic lap times from Forerunner. Then I transfer lap times to Polar PPP for training analysis. The only problem is the manual lap time insertion. I hope someone writes a small software routine, which transfers lap data from the XML-file that Forerunner generates to Polar hrm-file.