Anyone here know if the 550c plastics are as horrible as the 540c plastics?

[Paralel]

Just what the tin says

 

[EvilCapitalist]

They seemed like the exact same plastics to me just black instead of gray.  With the screen being larger the speakers work out to be slightly worse as well (IMHO) since they're smaller.

 

[Byrd]

Plastic condition varies wildly in 5x0 'books, from thin and brittle/easy to snap to a better quality moulding that is more resilient with deeper colour.  I suspect the brittle plastics come from sun exposure and overuse.

 

[Paralel]

They seemed like the exact same plastics to me just black instead of gray.  With the screen being larger the speakers work out to be slightly worse as well (IMHO) since they're smaller.

I figured as much, That sucks. I have had so many Blackbird of all 4 US types and the plastics on all of them were crap.

Plastic condition varies wildly in 5x0 'books, from thin and brittle/easy to snap to a better quality moulding that is more resilient with deeper colour.  I suspect the brittle plastics come from sun exposure and overuse.

Huh, so its not as simple as it seems then. Guess I will err on the side of caution then and discontinue thinking of getting a 550c since replacing any plastics would be a herculean effort.

 

[Franklinstein]

Like the 2400c, the owners here in Japan are rather fanatical about the 550c so they're rarely found in poor shape; they're usually pampered and handled gingerly. I have a few of them and none have plastics-related problems, though one is currently inop owing to a bubbled display. One has obviously spent its entire existence in a Wetsuit case, judging by the light wear marks in the computer corresponding to the internal straps on the case. As mentioned, they do still occasionally suffer from display bubbling, and leaked batteries are always a hazard if not caught in time.