My experience with the Garmin 305
A friend asked me this afternoon what I thought of the Garmin Forerunner 50. I've never used the 50, which is a heart rate monitor that relies on a footpod for speed and distance. My experience with footpods is limited to the Nike+ system, and I haven't been super impressed.
Personally, I started with the Forerunner 201 (GPS but no HR) in 2004 and graduated to a 305 (GPS and HR) in December 2007. I LOVE MY 305. Amazon has them for $165. Definitely worth the extra $88 over a Forerunner 50.
http://tinyurl.com/9e6br5
In the beginning, the GPS on the 201 was kind of flaky. I spent a lot of time reviewing my tracks and correcting crazy trackpoints. On the 305, the GPS is amazing. The new antenna used in the 305 is super accurate and I really like downloading my tracks after a workout. I also use the cadence sensor on my bike, which is really nice.
In terms of size, the 305 is a little bigger than a regular watch and not that big of a deal.
Finally, the Training Center bundled with the Forerunner is junk. Get SportTracks (www.zonefivesoftware.com).
And finally, ironic this is coming after my Dell rant, Garmin support is awesome.