Hi all,
quick question for peoples opinions. I could really do with getting an ipad for my new buisness venture, its not essential but it will make analysis and feedback to the client on the fly so much easier (if it works with a USB camera that is!)
But if I decide to get one then it really does shelve my plans for a Garmin 800. Now I’m not one to pointless upgrade when what I have will do the job but I have recently smashed my 310xt screen and the strap has broken so I really do need something to read my powermeter.

So, the question I am asking is is the garmin 800 really that good or should I get the ipad and soldier on with a barely readable 310xt!

send the 310xt back to Garmin – they’ll do an out of warranty replacement for not much and you can have the ipad2 too?

Get the 800 and a laptop

got the 800 never used the maps, sent it back under warranty and bought a 910xt

Thanks for the replies.
I am mainly wanting the garmin for its maps as I got horribly lost the other day in the peaks and I am moving to near the dales soon so I reckon I would love the maps function.
Yeh I was going to send the 310 back to garmin, its about 100 I think to have it fixed.

Oh and to muddy the waters I’m just about to get a used iphone 4 of a friend, would this do what I want the garmin to do?

What do you mean by:

if it works with a USB camera that is!

The answer is “Yes” or “No” depending on your meaning 😀

Yes – It will let you download photos off a camera via USB or by slotting in an SD card (but you have to buy the Camera Connection kit)

No – it won’t connect to USB web cameras etc.

Yes – it can tether an SLR wirelessly but you need to buy certain apps and a Eye-Fi SD card.

Or you can use the OnOne DSLR Camera Remote software – though that needs a PC too.

Well I’ve been reading that loads of people have had problems with the ipad and the camera connectivity as the new firmware reduced the power output to the usb or something? So many devices arent supported.
As my camera will be powered by its own battery I’m guessing that won’t be an issue?

Not sure, I’ve only ever used the SD card adapter to copy files off my Nikon D80. I doubt it needs much USB power for comms so I can’t see why it wouldn’t work if you have a battery in the camera. What exactly do you want to do?

I will be recording slow motion running film with a standard camera (canon I think) and then aiming to transfer to the ipad on to show the client on a bigger screen and slow the motion down with something like VLC if thats possible?

As for the GPS question, if you are truly lost the small screen on a Garmin 800 might not be that useful. Better to print or buy an OS map, possibly getting the grid reference form the 310xt (and learning to map read properly for when the battery fails)

I’ve no idea about the iPad stuff, but it does sound like at task that would be a lot easier with a laptop.

Okay – do you mean “transfer to the ipad” live, in real-time, or just sometime later after the filming is finished?

If it is the latter then there are a few good movie editors on iPad (including Apple’s own iMovie).

Sadly VLC is no longer available in the App Store (the devs pulled it for some reason) but there are a few other players in there that will stream movies directly from a PC or media server. Not sure which ones will let you adjust playback speed though.

Not real-time, just transfer to the ipad straight after and play.
For some reason I struggled with it on imovie, couldn’t seem to slow it down properly.

I’m starting to think that a laptop may do a better job! My current one is just a bit bulky!

New Mac Book Pro with Retina display…? 😉

Cheap Android tablet and Garmin.

I had considered a cheap android, whats a good one?

send the 310xt back to Garmin – they’ll do an out of warranty replacement for not much and you can have the ipad2 too?

+1 – then flog the refurbed 310xt on ebay to fund the 800

Tom a guy at work recently got a Android tablet off ebay for about £120 quid. Seems to do everything he wants. OK its not as pretty as a ipad but it does the job. quick scan on ebay and the Flytouch 7 with ics seems ok to me. Sure somebody here knows a lot more about them than me though.

I have an iPad1, outstanding device. A game changer. I can upload photos to it via the card reader, also has a USB connector.

I have OS maps. I have a compass. I also have a handheld GPS with a map function which I have never taken cycling.

Get the iPad and an OS map. If you really keep getting lost put a few waypoints into the GPS (after repairing it), maps on a GPS are overkill.

I have the 800 with the 1:50k OS maps. If you plan a route it’s hard to get lost in a new area. I’ve used it lots to check if I’ve missed my turn (when not using a route and turn indicators).

Screen size isn’t great but is usable for emergency navigation checks (I know that’s what a map is for).

I think they are a brilliant piece of kit.

Regards the garmin/OS map thing, anyone sensible would have a map with them anyway as backup, where GPS mapping is a real winner is being able to plonk it on the bars and go. Then when you’re in the middle of the moors trying to figure out if that third sheep track you passed was actualy the path before yours or just a sheep track. That is unless you take a full set of weems protractor, chart table and an accurate compass with you (not one of those plastic ones that just give a vague indication of north) and are prepared to stop at every junction to identify exactly which one it is on the map.

Get the Ipad and download the Viewranger app to both Ipad and Iphone. Choose if you want to pay extra for OS maps rather than free Open Source Mapping.
Map routes on the big screen of the ipad and sync it so that they transfer to your i phone.
Works across platforms. I have an Ipad 2 and an HTC Sensation.
You can also run the Strava app on your phone at the same time. Won’t be able to sync it with your power meter though….

Oh and to muddy the waters I’m just about to get a used iphone 4 of a friend, would this do what I want the garmin to do?

Yeah, more or less. Get some mapping software (E.g. memory map) and perhaps a stem mount + waterproof case for it and it’ll do 90% of what the garmin 800 can do. The main issues:

1. Battery life – the iPhone will probably be ~4hours with the screen on all the time + GPS. Mine lasts 8+ hrs with Strava in my pocket (screen off). You can buy external batteries to extend this of course.

2. GPS accuracy – fine for determining where you are, but occasionally there are blips so the average / max speed /distance might not perfectly accurate. IME iPhone is 100% fine for route tracking and navigation but for perfect accuracy on Strava segments (if that’s you’re thing), the Garmin is probably better. The Garmin also has a barometric altimeter which makes height estimations a lot more accurate.

3. The iPhone needs extra attachments to use a heart rate monitor / power / cadence etc.

yeah except the garmin does about 18hrs of recording …. iphone with all non essentials off – does 5hrs ….

you have a need for a gps/power meter , you have a want for an ipad….

my money would go on a garmin.

My iPhone 4 with everything on does 8 hours. YMMV

5 – 8 …. either way its not 18 …..

i ran out on monday half way through my ride 🙁 – lucky i was navigating on papermaps and compass when the clouds/fog came in on lochnagar 😀

True, although I’d argue that for the most part 8 hours is enough for the average mountain bike rider, whereas 5 hours (including stops etc) may not be.

I’m not saying the Garmin isn’t better – I’m sure it is for off road navigation – and don’t get me wrong, I’d have one in a heartbeat if it wasn’t so much cash. But paying £250 for a device isn’t for everyone, when you’ve already got a very similar device that does 90% of the same things. Especially with regards to technology – in 3-4 years the Garmin 800 will be superseded by a device that costs half as much with more features and twice the battery life (Or at least at that stage, the latest iPhone will blow the Garmin out of the water).

You can always add a battery case to double the iPhone battery life.

The Mophie Juice pack adds another 1500mAh to the 1420mAh in the iPhone 4:
http://www.mophie.com/mophie-juice-pack-air-iPhone-4-4s-battery-case-p/1145_jpa-ip4-blk.htm

The Juice Pack Pro adds armour and 2500mAh:
http://www.mophie.com/juice-pack-PRO-Rugged-case-for-iPhone-4-4S-p/2120_jppr-ip4-blk.htm

Trouble is to sync the iPhone with the power meter you need an ANT+ dongle, which is an additional cost, and I’ll imagine will impact fairly seriously on battery life. Particularly as there’s not much point having that data with the screen off in your back pocket.

Garmin for my money.

Garmin 800, great piece of kit. Can easily do a whole new route off road without stopping. Not sure I’d bother with the os maps on it though.
And the iPad as well, that’s good to.
Using view ranger on iPhone, just Isn’t the same as a garmin.
I’ve got all three. 😀

Get all of them? Could get a second hand garmin.

I’d guess you’d also need to invest in some sort of mount for the iPhone and buy – or DIY – some sort of waterproof container?
My Garmin Dakota got ripped off the bars and bounced down some rocks, I wouldn’t be overly convinced that my iPhone would survive that with a specialist case

At the risk of muddying the waters, I use a satmap active 10. Not cheap, but I do have 1:50k UK mapping and 1:25k for Cumbria and near home. Good for navigation, I use it both walking and biking.

It did fall of its back on the way down from the cockpit to howtown though – I found out at the bottom and had to ride back up to find it. It still works fine

what about a 2nd hand Edge 705?

Thanks for all the input guys.
I think what I am going to do is re-vamp my macbook (which currently requires a new hard drive and battery) then look into getting a garmin 800.
The Ipad looks awesome but I still don’t like the idea of having a ‘mobile’ operating system that relies on apps.
Also I love the comment about NEEDING the garmin and WANTING the ipad, as the ipad was of course for work and garmin for play! Ha!

Make work life easier? iPad!