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