A fantastic unit for its audience - but not a "normal" GPS.

This is a GREAT unit. I really enjoy using it. It has a clear screen, easy to press buttons, and fantastic accuracy. It leaves a bit to be desired as well.

I sold my Magellan Platinum GPS to buy this. I was not using the Magellan much, and I wanted something that I could use on my bike. Since this unit has the ability to work on more than one bike, I jumped at the sale, as I ride my road and mountain bikes regularly.

The Garmin Edge 205 is a lower-end version of the Edge 305. Missing features which can be found on the 305 include a heartrate monitor, a cadence meter (for measuring pedals per minute on bikes), and a few other things. At $200, it's already pretty steep, so I think this is a better value since I don't need the HRM or cadence.

This unit has great reception compared to my Magellan. It picks up satellites quickly, and it picks up more of them. It also records data points at a higher rate than the Magellan, giving me a more detailed path.

The software that ships with the GPS leaves a bit to be desired. It pulls data from the unit via USB (thank god for USB!) and displays it verbatim in an app. Useful for archiving workouts, but not very attractive or intuitive.

The real power comes with the "MotionBased" (http://www.motionmased.com) service. They have a free service that you can use which will allow you to upload your routes for viewing via an online map or (and this is the great part) you can download a .kmz file which will open in Google Earth.

The integration with Google Earth is worth the price of the unit all by itself (in my ePinion). To be able to see in real time my route in 3D and also in relation to landmarks and roads is incredibly valuable when showing others my route, or sharing a trip. I absolutely love this feature.

The hardware is nice also. There is a rubber grip around the outside of the unit which makes it easy to hold without dropping. The unit is much large than a traditional bike computer, but you'll forgive that when you start using it. Also, the mount allows you to mount the unit on your handlebar stem and not next to it - making it less obtrusive and slightly easier to view while riding. All bike computers should mount this way.

No magnets! Yay! The 205 uses its GPS data to track speed, distance, and other data. It is VERY easy to install and, after some quick programming (your bike type, weight, and some other info) you are on your way.

Some poor points include spotty Macintosh integration (even though Garmin touted full Mac support at the 2006 MacWorld SF - a full 5 months ago). It also only holds data for 2.5 hours in its continuous capture mode (a mode that captures very accurate data by taking one sample per second - as opposed to every once in a while). That's not long enough.

Also, there is no street map or room for an expansion card. That's just plain not cool.

No FireFox support at MotionBased and no Safari support for most of their technology. I know this is not Garmin's fault, but you should know about it.

Overall, I like it. I enjoy the precision of the data, and it's a groovy hood ornament on my Kestrel. I even ran the Bay to Breakers with it and captures the whole race!

I'd give it a B+