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If you happen to be a professional athlete, you will definitely want to own the Garmin Forerunner GPS 201 watch. It has a striking array of functions to offer. It includes a GPS sensor, an electronic map, session change and reversal capabilities, calorie tracker, lap info and record, performance archives, auto stopwatch with auto-lap and auto pause functions, lap timer, pace alert, distance alert, free Training Center software, a stretchy wristwatch strap, and an A/C desktop charger with a serial port.

The GPS 201 is just right for a professional as well as a more casual athlete. It mainly works to help you manage the pacing and tracking facets of a workout. This unit provides quite a number of plus points, but its main drawback would have to be that it is unpredictable in its functioning. This is the only reason you cannot call it perfect. Its dimensions of 3.3 ? 1.7 ? 0.7 make it look bulkier than a normal fitness watch; actually it is lighter than it looks, as it weighs only 2.8 ounces. The watch is waterproof and hence it could be employed by swimmers or by sports participants in rainy or damp weather conditions.

The Garmin Forerunner Fitness 201 watch can hold a lap record history of 5000 laps and comes with a lot more settings that you are able to tinker with to match up with your own needs and specific requirements. Among the most useful features the watch provides is the Training Center Software. This is an apt tool for you to use to store your performance statistics and can also help you see ways in which they have varied along your path, particularly if you have worked out at different elevations. The Virtual Partner feature helps you set goals that you desire to attain. You merely have to compare your real-life performance with that of your exercise buddy.

The GPS feature of this 201 model is disliked by many users because the signal can be fickle sometimes. Added to that, consumers also point out the irregularities in functions like altitude and pace readouts. This unit does not come with a heart rate monitor. Today, when most of the computer interfaces are USB compatible, this unit still lags behind with a serial port facility.

The wristband of the Forerunner 201 GPS is adjustable, allowing you to sport the watch by wearing it on your wrist or your arm as you choose. Its LCD display screen is easy to view in well-lit areas as well as in the shadows. The rechargeable lithium alloy battery can remain charged for 14 hours at a stretch. It appears to be just fine for runners, but may not be quite adequate for bicycling, etc.

Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 201 GPS is a watch with a lot of virtues. The training Center software and the Virtual partner features warrant special mention. However, its poor GPS signaling is its only flaw.