I've been jonesing for this Garmin since I heard about it before January. I am not disappointed, but I did expect a little bit more.

First of all, I've seen several pictures with a line graph showing your run vs altitude or speed. Nope! Just a simple graph for Satellites.

Secondly the bazel is NOT metal. I wear my Garmin as a watch and bumped it against a door jam and dinged the bazel. Not a big ding, but a little nick is out of it now.

Third; the band is much wider than it needs to be. The watch is barely too big to wear day to day, but I'm still wearing it daily.

Fourth thing that jabs me in the wallet is; yes it is pretty darn accurate, but when it uploads to Google maps (does it automaticly) when you really zoom in I've noticed all the routes are off the road to the east and north about 50'. So all of my trail routes look like I was running either in the river, or in the street, not on the trails.

Those 4 things are the absolute worst I've had with it. I've used it for a week now, and can't say enough about it. It hasn't made me run faster yet, but I've ran more =). I gave it 4 stars because some of the things I'm bitching about are simply my points, not something that makes the watch lesser of a product.

I previously owned a Forerunner 201 and my husband runs with a 205. What I really like about the 405 is how quickly it finds the satellites and is ready for a run. I also haven't had any issues with reception, which I often had with my 201.

Unfortunately, that's about the only thing that's improved with the 405 in my eyes. Here are my main issues with it:

- There's no way to turn it off. Sure, it goes into a "power save" mode. In this mode, the battery lasts about a week. You're completely draining the battery every week when you could only be using the battery for an hour or so several times a week. Each time a rechargable battery is discharged and recharged, it uses up a cycle of the battery and there are only so many cycles a battery can go through. At this rate, the battery is going to get used up really quickly. This is poor design. (Or perhaps they're hoping to capitalize on the revenue from people having to replace their batteries more often...)

- If you have small wrists, the watchband is too large and can be uncomfortable. I preferred the velcro strap on the 201. The 205/305 models also have the option to purchase a more comfortable strap that fits small wrists better. I contacted Garmin and there is no such option for the 405.

- The touch bezel is overly sensitive. Yes, you can adjust the sensitivity, but then once you do, it's nearly impossible to use it while running because it's not sensitive enough. There's no happy medium. Sorry Garmin, but old-fashioned buttons work better for pushing during activity. I'm constantly accidently getting into "virtual partner" mode while I'm trying to push the lap button.

- The low battery indicator obscures the entire screen. I did an entire run the other day with text that said "LOW BATTERY" across the entire display. I knew the battery was low, but I wanted to see how my run was going anyway! I can't find any way to dismiss this warning. It also obscures all menus (when not in training mode). It's very annoying because the device has at least 30-40 minutes of charge left after this indicator appears, but it renders the unit nearly inoperable for it's last 30-40 minutes before the battery dies.

- The computer sync only works with PC. With Mac market share growing by leaps and bounds, it's very surprising when companies don't come out with simultaneous platform support. Shame on you, Garmin. The website does indicate that support is coming "Fall 2008." I guess we'll see.

I really wish I'd just stuck with my 201. I feel like this upgrade was a waste of money.

Well, I've been using this HRM for 2 weeks now, and I wanted to share with you all how great it is.

Since I was an addicted fan of Polar HRMs, I was afraid to change. But this FR 405 proved to be the best HRM I ever trained with.

Although Gramin still has some work to be done:

- The PACE is not accurate out of the box, so you need to go to Garmin's web page and update the HRM's firmware;

- Lack of integration with my MacBook. So I was forced to install parallels and run windows XP in order to use its PC integration;

- Terrible training software and a pain to make the HRM "talk"to the PC....It lacks the appropriate support for installation of ANT drivers.

Still, it's a great HRM, and the ability to see your route on the google earth is awesome.

The touch bezel is also very nice, and despite of what others said, it's very simple to use.

As for the terrible native software, you can replace it with gorgeous Sport Track...It's free and it would accept the data exported from the Garmin's Training Center.

By the way, I use the FR405 for running and I'm currently training for the Amsterdam marathon in October.

Its a good product, but for the price it should be great. The battery life needs to be a bit longer (It doesn't live up to the promise on the package). Also, the control scheme needs work to be more intuitive. If you lock the bezel, it beeps at you every minute or two to tell you the bezel is locked. Its pretty annoying.

The software and the ANT stick work well. So does the heart rate monitor. Satellite acquisition is amazing. Fast and accurate. It even locked on in an interior downstairs room of my house.

I recommend waiting for the next generation, which will probably iron out some of the kinks. Or see if you can find one for cheaper than $350, and you'll feel better about the small drawbacks.

After two weeks of side-by-side usage, I've concluded that these watches are targeted at very different markets. Furthermore, in many respects, it seems like neither watch is totally ready for prime-time. Both have nice feature sets, but they each seem to be lacking some very important features to make them truly useful across several sports. The Suunto X9i seems to be targeted and more useful to the climbing crowd, whereas the Garmin Forerunner 405 seems targeted at the fitness/jogging crowd. Neither has the complete feature set that the above-average hiker/trail runner/mountain biker needs. Thus, if you purchase either, you have to accept the compromises inherit in one or the other.

If I was pressed to recommend one over the other, I very hesitantly lean towards the Garmin Forerunner 405 due to smaller size, better battery life, faster GPS synch, slightly better navigation screen and of course, lower price. I'm hesitant because of several important cons which I elaborate on below.

STATS:

Battery Life (w/ GPS): 4.5hr (X9i) vs. 8hr (405)

Battery Life (w/o GPS): 16d. (X9i) vs. 12d. (405)

Size: X9i is larger in every dimension than 405

Weight: 74g (X9i) vs. 60g (405)

Water Resistence: 100m (X9i) vs. 3m (405)

Heart Rate Monitor: No (X9i) vs. Yes (405)

Outside Temperature: Yes(X9i) vs. No (405)

CONS: Garmin Forerunner 405

1) Does not display raw latitude/longitude position on standard screen. You can save a waypoint, which they call "location", and then edit that point to see the latitude/longitude (displayed in non-decimal format).

2) Does not have On/Off button to save battery-life.

3) Comes with very basic software with limited maps. Cannot export tracks into GPX format.

4) Difficult to upload waypoints for future route.

5) Limited to WGS84 map datum (limits international usage of tracks)

PROS: Garmin Forerunner 405

1) Easy to use menu system.

2) Fast GPS satellite synching.

3) Can connect to heart rate monitor.

4) If you can get waypoints loaded, there is a nice screen that shows the direction/distance to the selected waypoint.

5) Great fitness monitoring screens and many are customizable.

CONS: Sunnto X9i

1) Large physical size.

2) Poor battery life with GPS on.

3) Slow GPS satellite synching.

4) Difficult to use and complex menu system with 5 buttons.

5) Does not have On/Off button to save battery-life.

6) GPS tracks, which they call "logs", tend to have jumps/errors when GPS drops out, which is often.

7) Comes with very basic software with no maps.

8) No screen to show direction to a selected waypoint.

9) Limited to WGS84 map datum (limits international usage of tracks)

10) Suggested Retail Price is 25% more than the Garmin 405.

PROS: Suunto X9i

1) Does display raw latitude/longitude position on Position screen, but in non-decimal format.

2) Does have temperature feature.

As a long-time user and fan of the Garmin 305, the Garmin 405 was a product I was looking forward to for months as I was excited to see the next generation of the 305 I have enjoyed so much.

I could not be more disappointed with the result.

The Garmin 405 is a classic example of a good product concept and clever design gone horribly wrong as the Garmin team focused on form (looks) clearly beat out the folks worried about function. The watch looks fine (great for a HRM/GPS watch, so so for an everyday watch) but in terms of actual purpose-built functionality, it is terrible. There are multiple reasons for this which I will outline below.

(1) Useless when wet (yes, that includes sweat). The fact that you cannot toggle between screens or do anything with the bezel while the device is wet should have caused the designers to toss out this novel touch sensitive concept and stick with what works. Instead, they decided to go with a neat design concept that works great when the salesperson is showing it to you at the store, but will provide endless hours of frustration when you are out running and just want to see your heart rate. This is my first bullet point because it is the best example of the type of design failures that make this a terrible device.

(2) Use of built in functions/screens - The makers carried over the capabilites of the Garmin 305 and added a virtual training partner functionality, but the display can only show three fields at once and the fields themselves are too small for good viewing while in motion (ie running). Cycling between the displays is easy to do while sitting on a couch, even fun when you run your finger along the bezel, but when you are out running you quickly realize that it is very difficult to accomplish anything with the device. With the 305, if you wanted to change fields on the fly, you could manage to do it while keeping a reasonable pace. With the 405, you need to press buttons and run your finger along the bezel to switch fields - again, great on a couch, nearly impossible on a run.

(3) GPS Accuracy. I have traded messages with people who disagree, and I will say that I sometimes have great accuracy, but have also had multiple experiences where the accuracy of this device is off by so much as to make the pace and distance benefits of a GPS useless. The best example is running a measured mile with typical neighborhood street tree coverage and having the device show I went a total of 0.70 miles (the 305 on the same stretch showed 1.01). I have had this happen multiple times in various locations and therefore have stopped using the watch in races when I want to know my true pace and distance (I am using the 305 again).

(4) Silly things that might (or might not) drive you crazy - There are two buttons on the Garmin 405 - both on the right side of the face as you look at it. These buttons perform some useful functions, including locking the bezel so that you can wear the device in a non-GPS mode and avoid running down the battery needlessly while still using the device as a watch. The problem is that if, like me, you actually own a daily wear watch and when you travel you prefer to put the 405 in your bag or suitcase, having the two buttons on the same side means that if they press against anything they will unlock the bezel and the GPS will start running (or try to). The result will be a dead battery when you pull it out of your bag. It may seem minor, but pulling the 405 out of your bag after you arrive and want to go for a run, only to see it is dead, again and again, is annoying. The positive offset is that the watch actually charges at a pretty decent speed. Oh yes, and when the battery does, in fact, die, you will need to go through all of the into screens again to get it going which will sometimes freeze on you (check message boards for solution to this as some people have posted them).

Overall, this is a terrible product and if you really want to get a GPS enabled running device, I would highly recommend you buy the Garmin 305. It is much cheaper and while it does not look as good, the size will not bother you after a couple of wears and it will work flawlessy for you. I suspect they will eventually correct the failings of the Garmin 405 but until they do it is not a good use of your money.

I've run with my Garmin 405 twice so far and love it. Given the mixed reviews here, I was a apprehensive about getting it, but it really is a great training device.

As I've progressed as a runner - first marathon this year, 3:52 at 41 years old - I've tried a variety of watches. First, a Timex Ironman, which I loved, but no Heart Monitor. Then a Timex Heart Monitor which I used with the Ironman (for the 100 lap memory). The Timex watches were stolen so next, a Nike Heart Monitor with the Nike+ Sports Band and Foot Pod.

The Nike+ Sports Band looks cool but is not very accurate, even calibrated. Changes in speed, hills, etc. will affect the accuracy of any foot pod system. Once calibrated, it tended to be about 3-5% off. Not the end of the world, but also leaves some doubt as to your real pace in, say, intervals or tempo training. The Nike+ website also is not great. It looks nice, but is hard to navigate.

Now, the Garmin 405. Likes:

1. Everything in one device - HR, pace, distance, elevation, laps.

2. Pace - I thought the whole GPS thing might be a bit too high-tech for a guy who loves the simplicity of running, but it is very, very nice to know your pace as you run. I use Hal Higdon's training plans, which call for all kinds of runs, with warm-ups, intervals, tempo intervals, pace segments, etc. The pace feature makes doing these workouts possible without having a coach at your side.

3. GPS frees you from mapping out your route. You just run until it shows your distance is done. The Garmin Connect site then shows your map. This doesn't sound so amazing, but it is very liberating. You just run wherever you want, explore your neighborhood, whatever. It transforms city running.

4. Auto laps. Great feature. I live in Brazil where everyone thinks in kilometers, but miles are still more meaningful to me, so I set it to auto laps every mile. All the other info is set to metric, which is a nice combination (at least for me).

5. The Garmin Connect website is good, not amazing, but complete enough with nice graphs and it's easy to imagine it getting better.

6. The data seems accurate, based on a track workout.

Dislikes:

1. Battery life - with GPS enabled, it needs a charge every couple of days to avoid the dreaded "low battery" warning in the middle of a workout.

2. The USB stick for wireless transfer. It works, but Nike does it better. The Nike+ pop-out USB stick is a much simpler way to transfer data to the computer and a much better way to keep from losing the USB part.

3. It can take a couple of minutes to find satellites and loses the satellites on streets with tall buildings. This is a little disconcerting, but the software seems to correct for it.

4. You need the foot pod to use it for indoor training. One more piece of gear (and not cheap).

All in all, the Garmin 405 is an incredible training device. It is the best choice in the market. Nothing comes close to it. 5 stars.

I hope you find this helpful.

I owned the 205 and 305 before for Marathon training. I would give those two products a 3 or 4 out of 5 stars.

While the 405 has has the better form factor, better looks, and the quickest satellite locking it is UNUSABLE and 1 out of 5 from me. I used it for maybe 50 miles of running so far.

If you are wet the bezel is unusable. I played around with sensitivity but couldn't get it to work: If sensitivity is high it will start acting on its own - if sensitivity is low you cant get it to respond at all.

Sometimes the watch gets so confused when wet that you can't even use the standard buttons either - no start/stop, no lap times.

Garmin, you should be ashamed. Did someone ever take this product out for a run? I will (try to) return it.

I purchased the 405 watch recently. The GPS performs well and quick. The bezel wheel works well before the run but after I started running and begin sweating I could not use any functions because it was completely unresponsive. Also, the lap button just did not work. I received my first watch and returned for a replacement. The second watch was almost the same story. I do not recommend to buy this watch at all. I am returning my second watch for a refund. Very impressive return service from Amazon.

I've been using the watch for about a month now, almost daily. The watch itself is great. Great functionality, great specs, very usefull. BUT - and there's always a but - the watch basically freezes up when it becomes wet. I sweat more than average and the iPod-like bezel does not respond when wet. I read a bit about this and made the purchase anyway. Big mistake. I am now returning because after about six miles, it is useless. A few other comments:

- Strap is comfortable but if you have a larger chest (I'm 44"), and you are forced to wear it tight, plan on buying lots of the $10 straps. Mine is already showing signs of streatching. I had a polar before with a nylon strap and this wasn't an issue

- There is some negative play on getting the watch to sync with PC. I'm a fairly technically savy guy and it took more than one try. The instructions online aren't the best.

Takeway, if you are a skinny runner who doesn't sweat, this watch is a five. Otherwise, you may want to avoid.