Just got my Garmin 296!

Hello all,

I just received my Garmin 296 from Sporty's today (I ordered it last week)
and in a word, it's amazing. It's the same size and configuration as the
196, with an incredible color screen that doesn't wash out in sunlight (in
fact, it seems to get easier to read the brighter the sunlight is!). As nice
as the 196 and 295 are--and I've owned and used both--the 296 blows them
both away. The screen update rate seems faster than even the very fast 196.
Just as in the 295, the color adds an extra dimension to the information
displayed, but the 296 has 256 colors as compared to 16 on the 295. The
TAWS feature with its "pop-up" warnings and marked obstructions displayed
along with their MSL and AGL heights could literally be a real life saver!

I've just had this GPS for only a couple of hours, so I haven't flown with
it yet, or even come close to exploring all of its capabilites. If there's
any interest, I'll try to keep the group posted as I gain experience with
it.

Stan
swperk--at--earthlink--dot--net

I've just had this GPS for only a couple of hours, so I haven't flown with
it yet, or even come close to exploring all of its capabilites. If there's
any interest, I'll try to keep the group posted as I gain experience with
it.

Stan
swperk--at--earthlink--dot--net

I'm thinking about getting one this week to replace my 196. Any
updates are appreciated.

So, how many people actually HAVE a 296? I've had one on order since
before Sun N Fun and still no word. My dealer said there are shipping
delays, but isn't getting any other word from Garmin. I also noticed
that Garmin's already posted a software update for this unit on their
site.

I'm just curious if they're really getting into circulation yet.

Thanks all,

Ross

I ordered my 296 from Sporty's a couple of weeks before Sun N Fun and had it
in my hands in about a week. Sporty's told me at the time I placed my order
that Garmin was planning to have enough units produced in time to meet the
demands of Sun N Fun, and therefore Sporty's expected to have their
allotment filled as well by that time.

I reported a couple of bugs that I found in the original firmware (2.50) to
Garmin. The bugs were more of an annoyance than a safety issue, but Garmin
was very serious about geeting all the info from me to be able to find and
eliminate the bugs. They have fixed one of them in the latest firmware
release, and told me to expect the other one to be fixed in the following
release.

Overall, I'm *very* impressed with the 296! I've owned a number of Garmin
handheld GPS products, including a 196 and a 295, and the 296 is leaps and
bounds ahead of any of them.

Stan


"Ross Taylor" wrote in message
om...
So, how many people actually HAVE a 296? I've had one on order since
before Sun N Fun and still no word. My dealer said there are shipping
delays, but isn't getting any other word from Garmin. I also noticed
that Garmin's already posted a software update for this unit on their
site.

I'm just curious if they're really getting into circulation yet.

Thanks all,

Ross

Stan, thanks for the information! I look forward to getting my hands
on one, too. I'll give my local dealer a few more weeks, then it may
be time to go to one of the "big guys". It sounds like, from my
dealer, Garmin is way behind the demand curve on this unit - it
appears to be highly sought after, and apparently with good reason.

Ross

(Ross Taylor) wrote in message . com...
Stan, thanks for the information! I look forward to getting my hands
on one, too. I'll give my local dealer a few more weeks, then it may
be time to go to one of the "big guys". It sounds like, from my
dealer, Garmin is way behind the demand curve on this unit - it
appears to be highly sought after, and apparently with good reason.

Ross

Ross,

I got my 296 from http://gpsworldsupply.com/ and only took 3 days.

I upgraded from a 196 and all I can say is WOW, this new 296 ROCKS!

Dustin