Garmin eTrek
Pros:
- Cheapest on the market
- Excellent battery life
(up to 22 hours)
- Simple operation
Cons:
- Slow satellite acquisition time (up to 5 minutes)
- Small screen
- No PC connectivity.
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Garmin eTrex Legend
Pros:
- Excellent battery life
(up to 18 hours)
- Decent screen
- Internal memory can hold street-level data (with accompanying MapSource software and a connection cable, points of interest, food & gas, hotels, parks, essential telephone numbers, etc. You can also plot out routes with Topo software and upload that data to the unit.
Cons:
- Does not display topo data
- Does not show profiles of climbs
- 8MB internal memory limits you to data in an area about the size of half of Orange County.
Plot routes and print TOPO maps with National Geographic TOPO! Software
To upload street-level data you'll need this:
MapSource
NOTE: The PC interface cable is included in manufacturer packaging.
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Garmin eTrex Vista
Pros:
- Fastest boot time.
- Built in barometric altimeter provides you current elevation, ascent/descent and more.
- Like the Vista, it also can load in MapSource data, routes and waypoints.
Cons:
- Memory capacity is the same as the Legend
- Extra cost over the Legend model shows you the profile of where you've been, but not where you're going. So you'll have to decide whether or not paying the extra money is justifies seeing a neat little graphic showing your past and current altitudes.
- Does not display topo data.
Plot routes and print TOPO maps with National Geographic TOPO! Software
To upload street-level data you'll need this:
MapSource
NOTE: The PC interface cable is included in manufacturer packaging.
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