Which Garmin should I get? (Read 541 times)

I have plans to buy myself a Garmin whenever I manage my first 10-mile run - or before the Costco sale ends, whichever comes first! The problem is I'm a bit of a tech dummy....I can figure out how to use gadgets once I have them, but I'm terrible at reading various reviews and figuring out which model is best for me. My eyes glaze over whenever I get to the technical specs. Does anyone want to do the hard work for me? I think I've heard negative references on this board to the 405 - is the 305 better? What about even older models? I don't want to spend TOO much money on this. I don't particularly care about a HRM, and looking at the Garmin website I couldn't even really figure out what the differences were between the 305 and the 405. I just want to be able to track my distance wherever I go, give me a rough idea of my pace while I'm running. Any advice?

Can't speak for the newer models, but I've got an old 201 that I've been using for over 5 years. The only problem I ever had with it was once the memory filled up and it started reporting gibberish, lap counter would go off every 10 secs, ect. I cleared out the memory and its still going strong. Had to replace the strap as well, the velcro wore out. It seems to do fine in all weather. Be advised, though, GPSs are not going to be exact. You can run the same route 10 times and sometimes you'll get 10 different distances. Generally most of them will be pretty close, but there may be one that's way off, sometimes as much as 10% or more. This error may be magnified if you run under heavy foliage, or around tall buildings, or make alot of turns or 180s. What happens, is the unit loses the satellites for a brief time, and when it picks them back up, it extrapolates the distance from the last good point to the current point. If there was a curve or a turn, it won't see it and you'll get a straight line between the two points. Occasionally it measures longer as well. I use mine almost every time I run outdoors and am pretty happy with it. It serves its purpose well and is easy to use. I keep thinking about upgrading, but as long as this one keeps working, its tough to justify. Modified for spelling.

Ooooh I hadn't even considered the Mac vs. PC issue, thanks for the warning! I'm currently a PC person but am switching to the MacBook for grad school next year. Is it annoying to sync a Garmin up with one computer and then later switch it to a new one?