In article
,
john smith wrote:

Here are a few suggestions for the future Garmin GPS-596...
- flat panel package, one-inch thick (max, including battery)
- replaceable Li-ion battery pack; optional AA battery pack
- a five-inch diagonal screen (as on the 530)
- landscape or portrait viewing select
- XM weather and radio
- higher resolution
- faster processor
- ability to download text (NOTAM's, weather)


I agree, a screen the size of the 530 would be nice.

With a screen the size of the 530, landscape or portrait would be moot,
in my opinion.

The 396/496 screen already provides fairly impressive resolution. A
higher-resolution screen will not make the weather look any better, if
that's what you're after.

No AA battery pack. Not practical in this unit. The 396/496 have a
replaceable Lion battery pack that is only slightly larger than 2 AA
batteries; there is no way that 2 AA batteries would power the unit for
any reasonable length of time.

NOTAMs (other than TFRs) would be nice, but I'm not sure what weather
text you're looking for that isn't already there. Perhaps area
forecasts, but that isn't a service provided by XM at this time. The
396/496 already provides text for METAR, TAF, TFR, AIRMET, SIGMET, etc.



JKG