I'm a relative newbie to caching, but I have some experience I think might help you.
I own both the 60csx and the Oregon 550t. I've had the 60 for 4 years, and it is a tank. It's like the Volvo 240 of the GPS world. I've taken it on a bunch of trips and it has always served me well. And I will hold on to it until the day it dies. Of course, my son has now claimed it as his own, now that I have my pretty new toy.
When I realized I had become irrevocably addicted to geocaching (one smiley and you're hooked for life) I looked into the 550t for 3 specific reasons. 1 - The compass is bad-a**. I can hold it any which way, walk fast, stop and ponder, and it keeps on pointing true. Love that. With the 60 I always feel like a ring bearer pacing down the aisle - slow, measured steps, not to fast, keep it level...
2 - My Mac and my 60 never got along real well. It took effort to keep their friendship amicable. But my Mac and my 550t are getting along very nicely. Do I smell love in the air? All I do is click "the send to GPS" button, and a GPX file transfers to the 550. I do almost nothing, and the file has everything in it. Descriptions, hints, logs, everything. On the 550, click on the Geocaching button, then the cache you want, then there is a separate button for each aspect, so you only see what info you want when you want. It's a smooth, seamless operation from Mac to 550.
3 - The 550 has a camera! And its pretty good, too. Comes in real handy for those virtual caches and earthcaches. And they're geotagged. I'm gonna figure out how to link 'em to Google Earth for my friends & family back home while I'm travelling. You already know there ain't no camera on the 60, so you have to carry a separate camera for some caches. One less thing to carry is always a good thing.
Now that I own it, I see there are other reasons to own the 550 that I didnt even know about. There are tons of other extras that are just so fun and helpful. I'm still getting to know my new device, and it's been really fun. I am super impressed!
The huge internal memory is beyond. Have you seen the specs on the 3 of points it can hold? Couple that with a fat microSD, and you can use your 550 as a portable data storage device. You can DL and store vacation pics as you travel.
You can enter a lot more info about each cache, and it is waaaay easier to enter info into the 550 thanks to the touchscreen. You know the typing process with the 60 - slow, tedious, annoying. And you only get a wee bit of room - I always get cut off! I find the 550 a lot easier to read, too. It's easier to see what I am typing, and what I am reading.
Accelerometer - need I say more?
And I love the 3D view on the map when I'm driving along.
Yeah, the 60 was The Stuff when it first came out. And it still rocks, reliable and true. But if you want some more advanced features, and the awesome convenience of the touch screen, major plus of a camera, gobs of memory, and a really kickin' compass, you'll be mighty happy with the 550.
I love mine so much that I'm gonna give him a name. Stay posted.
