I decided to order a Garmin Forerunner 201 for use in my spring running and cycling. Before I bought it, I checked out the price at various on-line stores. I also visited the Eastern Mountain Sports store at Princeton MarketFair on U.S. 1. I found that Amazon.com has a terrific price on the Forerunner 201, about $32 better than EMS.

I appreciate the opportunity to see products in bricks and mortar stores like EMS, but there's no way I'm paying a 20 percent premium for the privilege of buying there. I'm sure there are products on which EMS is much more competitive.

I also bought a Forerunner 201 Bike Mount Bracket so I can put the Forerunner next to my Polar S-720 heart rate monitor. It will be interesting to see any differences in the measurements that these two devices have in common.

I am looking forward to using the Forerunner 201 to make breadcrumb trails on satellite photos. This morning during our walk around the neighborhood, I was trying to explain to my wife how these photos are produced. It's definitely easier to read Phillip Torreone's howto than it is to explain it verbally.