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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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* '''Navigation'''. There's only a primitive display of the course you load, not waypoints, off course notifications, distance to the end, backtrack, etc.
* '''Interval Timers'''. I'm not a fan of using timers for interval training, but it's something I'd expect on watches that are far cheaper than the Spartan.
* '''Where's my phone?''' I've come to appreciate the Garmin "Where's My Phone?" feature that buzzes the phone to help you find it. It's one of the most useful bits of having a watch connected to the phone.
* '''Stability'''. Each new firmware release seems to break functionality, which is indicative of quality problems.
=Physical Characteristics=
Looking at these watches side on, you can get a sense of their bulk. They are surprisingly similar, and none of them could be considered thin or svelte, but they are less bulky than some of the earlier devices.
[[File:Spartan Side.jpg|center|thumb|x300px|]]
One minor feature I appreciate is the "standby backlight" which is a dim level of backlight that is always on. This makes the Spartan much easier to read indoors and dim conditions without burning through the battery.
=User Interface=
The user interface has 3 buttons and a touchscreen, and is generally clean and intuitive. The menu system has a simple up/down/enter approach, with one of the menu options being a return to the previous level. You can use the touchscreen to navigate the menu as an alternative, but in most cases I found it easier to just use the buttons. I prefer a user interface with more buttons so that each has a specific function, but the Spartan handles things with just 3 buttons reasonably well. There are a few touch-only actions, such as a 2 finger tap to turn on and off the backlight, or pinch-to-zoom on the map. The interface is mostly responsive, though occasionally there is a slight lag. The display is much higher resolution than other watches I've tested to date, and the Spartan makes good use of this by putting more data on the screen. There are a few oddities, such as using the middle button to start a run, then the top button to pause/resume. In the scale of the infuriating user interfaces that some watches have (I'm looking at you Epson) the Spartan is a delight.
