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The
M9 watch, or “wrist-top computer” as Suunto would justifiably
have it, is a technological tour de force that would make Capt. Cook’s
tricorner hat spin. Its designers not only managed to squeeze a GPS, electronic
compass, thermometer, barometer, and PC interface all into a chic (and
comfortable) 2.8-ounce package, but also built an operating system that
integrates the resulting data to the max, even though there are only five
control buttons.
Some of its functions
are specifically tailored to sailboat racing, but there’s plenty
here for any boater. For instance, you can use the included Sail Manager
software to plan on British Admiralty ARCS raster charts (not included)
and upload routes to the M9, which can then deliver the sort of bearing,
distance, and ETA information common to handheld GPSs. The M9 can also
use the satellites to synch its chronometer to atomic accuracy and to
correct its hand-bearing compass readings to True North. My personal favorite
is the seven-day graphic barometer; it’s not only the personal equivalent
of the traditional paper recording machine, but it can sound a handy alarm
during rapid pressure change (indicating an impending weather change).
I could go on and on
about features but must note some issues. Learning to use the M9, especially
its advanced features, is not trivial. Those five buttons, two of which
are simply up/down screen and field controls, are all you’ve got
to negotiate a labyrinth of menus and acronyms on its 84x78-pixel screen.
The printed manual runs to 40 pages, and that’s just the “quick”
guide; there’s a longer version on the CD, along with the PC software
which you also need to learn. (It strikes me that ease of use and value
could be rapidly improved by opening the M9 interface to the charting
software and digital charts many of us already own and know how to use,
but Suunto is not keen on sharing its protocols.) Besides trying to mash
complex software into a limited interface, it also appears that the $649
M9 is pushing the limits of current GPS feasibility. I tested it on two
continents and sometimes had trouble establishing and holding onto satellite
fixes even under quite open skies, and I’ve heard similar complaints
from others.
Bottom line: Don’t
expect regular GPS performance from the M9, but you can wow yourself and
others with its compact technology.
Suunto USA Phone:
(800) 543-9124. www.suuntousa.com.
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