OK so been through the website again and again and it says there is no Virtual Partner on the 500 but you can follow routes in a way which looks like the VP stuff… anybody have one and can comment. The 800 is out of the budget currently and the quality of the maps here in Tasmania make mapping fairly pointless. Basically just want to be able to upload a GPX and check at junctions etc.

Also there was something a while back on the heart rate straps and the premium not working aswell as the standard. Did that ever get resolved or is it just a could/might happen issue

Cheers

VP is only really of any use for pacing yourself rather than for any sort of navigation
The 500 has the ability to use ‘Courses’ which will give you a reasonably clear line to follow, along with some data regarding how far left/completed etc.
I only tried it once or twice but it worked adequately enough

DC Rainmaker [as ever] knows everything
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/03/how-to-create-mapscourses-for-your.html

Spot on!! More sense than the Garmin Site