Garmin 496 compared to the 396

Face it -- Garmin just hasn't kept up with the competition in the
crucial area of display design. Worse, the only work-around to using a
too-small display -- slewing around -- doesn't work very well because
of insufficient processing power.

That isn't the only work-around, as pointed out by myself and others.
For some reason, you apparently refuse to acknowledge the alternatives,
which work fairly well.

Something that works "fairly well" isn't what I expect in a $3,000
piece of equipment the size of my son's PSP. Zooming out causes the
target you are searching for to disappear, as that tiny little screen
"declutters" itself. If it DIDN'T do that, all you would see was a
giant glob of gibberish, with the airport names entangled with one
another.

The only solution to that problem is video screen acreage -- period.
The screen is simply too small, and the landscape orientation doesn't
let you see far enough ahead without slewing.

It's a design flaw.

No, it's not. I'm sorry, but while I wish the 396/496 screen was
perhaps twice as big, that still wouldn't solve the "problem" of having
to scroll around. And, I don't believe that the mass aviation market
wants a 7" or 10" or 12" screen in a portable GPS.

Check the sales of Lowrance's Airmap 2000c. THAT is a usably-sized
screen -- and they were selling like hot-cakes at OSH.

Don't get me wrong -- XM weather is awesome, I absolutely love flying
with it, and the 496 is a nice, robust unit. But as soon as Garmin (or
anyone else) comes out with a larger screened version, you'll see
hundreds of 396s/496s on Ebay, overnight.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"