Click on any small image (thumbnail) to see the larger picture. The STP track is in blue, the 60c track is in red. The tracks agree quite well; the STP dynamically averaged points, so some of the "kinks" (e.g., when I took a circuitous route to climb a cliff) are averaged out on the STP. The only real glitch with the 60c occurred when I intentionally entered a slot canyon with little view of the sky for several minutes; the STP software handled this excursion rather gracefully, whereas the Garmin 60c…

*That picture was taken to show the relative positions of the two GPSRs on the pack, not to show the screen performance. However, several people have used this photo to conclude that the 60c screen is much sharper than the STP screen. Before you come to such a conclusion, please NOTE:

1) I specifically oriented the 60c so it would be readable; if it were not oriented within a small rocking angle, it was unreadable in the viewfinder. I paid no attention to the orientation of the STP, which was at an angle in the picture (you can tell this from the shadows on the STP screen in the photo).

2) I used a flash fill to highlight the 60c transreflective screen.

3) the STP is in its protective case with a vinyl window over the screen. The STP screen is recessed several millimeters, which causes unfavorable reflections off the vinyl and screen when viewed from an angle. The 60c doesn't have a similar protective case, possibly because one extra layer of material, several mm out, would make the transreflective screen even murkier. In the photo, you can probably see the scratches acquired by my 60c, due to the lack of a protective case.

If you want a better outdoor comparison of the two screens, look here.

I haven't compared the two in city driving; that isn't my bag. But for me, in the last 7 weeks of hiking tests to 28-Feb-2004, the STP won hands down for readability, even through the scratched protective vinyl window. Why?

1) The 60c track, at the time of these tests, was so faint it was barely perceptible. 2) Because of the protective case, I feel comfortable taking the STP off and reading it as I am walking, or letting it stay "in harm's way" when climbing. If a GPS is safely stowed on the back of your pack, the screen is not very readable. 3) Under overcast skies, the 60c screen is much duller than it appears in the above photo.