Comparative Review: Garmin Forerunner 10 & Nike SportWatch GPS

We compare two leading candidates for the role of a GPS device on the runner's wrist.

These devices are nothing like the GPS you have in your smart phone or the dedicated device in your car. There are no maps, just a simple watch-like device with a digital display. They record your movement; they don't display it.

Think of them like a black-box flight recorder for a runner!

The Nike SportWatch GPS

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The Garmin Forerunner 10

Both devices will permit the upload of your path to an online mapping service and will offer comparative information - fastest mile (or kilometre), run speed etc.

Let's start by listing the common features of both devices.

• Access GPS to track the runner's speed and path (TomTom on the Nike; Garmin uses its own technology).
• Plot any stored trip on a digital map.
• Online community to compare progress with friends and rivals.
• Keep track of historical 'bests' and summaries of the most recent few runs.
• Function as a 'normal' wristwatch.

Given that they are intended to function in a very similar manner, what are their differences?

• On an identical trip (one unit was on my wrist, the other in a pocket of my backpack - never more than 1m apart, probably closer to 50cm most of the time), they disagreed on best mile, best km etc. This was actually on an open-top bus trip around Santiago in Chile, but it was a useful comparison. The difference wasn't great, but more than perhaps could be expected. Obviously it was not possible to determine which was correct!
• The Garmin took approx. 45 secs longer than the Nike to acquire satellite lock (the Nike isn't particularly quick either).
• At the end of the journey (about 5 hours in total duration, including a few walks into buildings) the Garmin was showing the battery near exhaustion, the Nike seemed to still be around half full. Note that 5 hours is the Garmin's quoted battery life with GPS enabled
• The Garmin offers a run-pace facility, allowing you to pre-determine a running pace; the unit will then advise whether you are ahead or behind that pace. In addition, it can automatically stop recording when you stop (at traffic lights for instance). The Nike does not have these abilities.
• On the other hand, the Nike will permit the use of shoe-inserted communication 'pods' which are useful when running indoors. It also has an alarm of the type found on many digital watches.
• Both permit the breaking of the run into "laps? - the Garmin by pressing a button; the Nike by a simple tap anywhere on the face (this tap action will also turn on the back-light for around 5 seconds). An exercise 'freak' of my acquaintance opined that the tap would be much better than fumbling for a button which he currently has to do - he didn't tell me the make or model of his watch.

So, having used both for walking and riding both bicycle and open-top bus (with my dodgy knees, I'm no longer a runner!) how do they compare?

Source: http://www.itwire.com/reviews/mobile-devices/57510-comparative-review-garmin-forerunner-10-nike-sportwatch-gps

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