* AT WHAT PRICE BUY?
Please note, Amazon prices vary widely: just before Christmas 2011, the show had dropped to 243 euros. She rose to 299 euros after the holidays, and swings from day to day from 247 to 299 euros ... So we must put Garmin in the basket, and stay in ambush by connecting everyday on Amazon .
* HOW IT HAPPENS THIS SENSITIVE DIAL?
Ben, there, big disappointment. Upon opening the box, the bracelet of mine fell into my hands: ah yes, missing a screw to make it stick to the watch case ... So visit Obligatory jeweler. I take off a star for that. Obviously a quality control has not been done at the factory: not very serious for a watch of this price!
Second problem: The biggest concern of the range of Garmin 405/410 is the "bezel", the touch screen dial is rotated finger. It seems that the 405, the previous model was awful. I have not personally tested the 405. But I noticed that in December 2011 there were dozens of 405 used for sale on the Bon Coin, and not a single 410 ...
No luck, though, for me, in fact, never has the dial on the watch (new) that I purchased from Buy perfect (Amazon seller). That is to say, navigation and customization of menus is not possible. It does not bother me to run, but of course as soon as I want to customize the view, impossible. Do not think at all that scroll on the dial acts like an iPhone or iPad, such the finger and the eye: no, Garmin is the virile scroll, support must be frankly, block, three times Subsequently, or four times, until all have red thumb, and therefore, in my case, even so, it only works once in ten!
And I add that it does not work, but then not at all, with gloves, even thin (like silk glove liners).
I was surprised that the 5 previous comments do not mention at all the dial and the painful problem of navigation. I have read the Garmin forum (in English) speaking of 410: I am not alone, including on new models (like yours) to have a crappy dial. My only explanation for this silence is the other 5 people minimum use of EN 410, type "enter" in early trading and "quit" end of the session (not need the dial so), whereas I cabbage take me to try to define sharp options, download GPS maps etc.
Anyway, I just did an email to Garmin France to reclaim my purchase for me, the adventure EN 410, it's over. I'll invest in a 310 XT, fat, ugly but without touch dial, with the same functionality.
* COMPARATIVE 410/210
Truthfully, the only advantage of this model 410 on the rest of the range, including the 210, is the programming sessions on Garmin Connect or Garmin Training Center (compatible Mac + PC software) on the computer, and downloaded to the watch. It's super-convenient.
$$ Stingy Bonus: go to Runners World, heading Training, tinker you a personalized training plan in English (they have nothing planned for absolute beginners, but once you 3 short sessions of 50 minutes per week They offer nice plans) and download it to your computer and then transfer it to Garmin Training Center (basic software to install on the computer). You can then view the meetings scheduled on the calendar, arrange them to your sauce, then inject them piecemeal on your watch. Very convenient to avoid going to hand the 4 stages of a split for example. However, only the 310 and 410 can receive ready-made sessions on computer. other models require you to enter them by hand on the watch.
* COMPARATIVE 410/310
Well, apart from that: the 410 definitely has a very nice look for a girl. The screen is small but readable (riders> 40 years, beware though, it's REALLY small).
And honestly, it's exactly the same engine under the hood the Garmin XT 310, except it look more compact and therefore less readable screens, with less info "written" in full. The difference is that also the 310 offers 4 continuously display fields on the watch, while the 410 can only offer three. But in fact, you often need 4 fields: heart rate, speed in km / h, elapsed time, distance traveled or number of km to go short, with three fields, it still lacks one, and it is hard to know which one to sacrifice. For a mixed use bicycle / running so I would recommend the 310, bigger, more legible on a framework that little 410. If it is to look pretty, there's no picture, especially for girls, oranges and shades look "computer era Star Trek" of 310 are not terrible.
* THE GPS: WORKS VERY WELL BUT MINIMAL GUIDANCE
Finally, the GPS: good, no illusions to be the utopia to download a map of an unknown course and guidance, that's not it. The good point is that it is very easy to whip up a route to Garmin Connect or download a ready-made and convert it to Garmin format.
In fact, once the downloaded route, the arrow of the watch says "all right", "left", etc. But nothing else. That is, if you have not watched a minimum the map before leaving, and you arrive at a junction, the GPS will tell you "straight", you will choose at random, and 100 m after he will tell you "U-turn arrow" and you will then understand that it was the other way ... if they really diverge. Otherwise, you will run a long time before you realize the mistake. In short, no miniature card, the impression of following the stones of Tom Thumb.
If you really want a nice color map with your route drawn and the area plan, go watch the new MOTOACTV that just came out in the USA (arrival early 2012 in Europe).
Otherwise the signal itself is acquired without much difficulty. My big regret is that there is no on Garmin altimeter to measure the height difference depending on the atmospheric pressure (easy to calibrate). A real violas, what, humanly controllable and reliable (if the pressure drops, you recalibrate it by hand). Apparently altitudes Garmin data are calculated from the GPS, and of course, you're never safe from a bug. So to go to the mountains, I recommend a good old violas kind Suunto is less risky. I take off a star for that because as soon as one is in the field, the height difference is important, and for bike use, too.
There. I gave myself time to choose my cardio, I have watched the models, and I laid this long comment from my personal experience. Thank you for having me read to the end. I hope he has answered your questions, because I have taken time to write it! Good race, and declare my involvement with the Garmin service here in France As for my actions.
