Audiobooks on the Run (4)

So it seems Garmin was right. Which is puzzling to me. But anyway.... The problem has been solved. Although probably the root cause has not been found... This bothers me but probably there is no way for me to find it and no one else cares...

The problem, as reported back in September last year, was that my Garmin watch could not multitask. It was either playing audio or recording an activity but could not do both. To me it looked (and still looks) like a software problem, but Garmin support decided otherwise and offered to replace the unit with a new one.

Generally it is difficult to discuss things with support - you are lucky of they are responding anyway, so I agreed, sending them back the "faulty" watch as instructed. Weeks passed... even months... After several more email exchanges finally in January 2021 the replacement unit arrived. It took them 3 months, which is a shame, but probably there is nothing I can do to fix their logistics.

Anyway the replacement unit does everything as advertised. I tried stressing it by uploading many 3rd party maps and other files to exhaust the storage and it still works - playing audio and recording activities. I still think it was a software issue, perhaps a corrupt file system or some other fault showing itself up only after a chain of many firmware upgrades were executed over several years (the new one arrived with the latest firmware already installed).

In any case, it paired nicely with both the AirPods and Bose Tempo and works as it should. I have already went through converting several Audible books to MP3 and uploading them to the watch. Must say it is a great setup for trail runs - audio glasses (with touch volume control) that do not block ears and the tracking / navigation watch on a wrist. It even pauses the playback from time to time to announce pace statistics. Cool :)