I wouldn't buy a computer that involved expensive battery replacement. Especially since it's not a one time thing, you're talking about having to send the computer away (probably at an inconvenient time, given Murphy) and dump that money into it every time it needs a new battery. I'd only consider something like this if it were really cheap, and I was going to try to do it myself, and was ok with possibly screwing it up. Some of the batteries that are technically not "user replaceable" can be, if so you can usually find directions on the net someplace - don't know about this one.
Makes more sense to spend the battery replacement money on something else if you must. But the Zoop is a perfectly good rec computer and will do the job for a long time for most folks. Aside from an itch to get rid of the console, is there anything the Zoop doesn't do that you really need? Note that many people decide they still want a backup SPG in case they have a problem with the transmitter, and you may too. What you might try doing first is take the computer and SPG out of the console, put the Zoop in a wrist mount, and use just the SPG (doing something to tie it up of course, or if you have one of the modular Suunto consoles you could use just the one section you need.) Also experiment with how and where you attach things - I use a console, on a retractor (horrors) that hasn't killed me yet, and I never have trouble with it getting caught on things.
As far as you get what you pay for, not necessarily. Sometimes more money partly just gets you a brand, and sometimes it gets you a pile of features it turns out you don't actually care about.
