Not so sure about that, the NES pads here in Europe (you probably got the same in Japan and the US) destroyed my thumbs and took a heck of a beating without giving up the ghost. But then my N64 pads and then Gamecube pads just gave up the ghost after a few months, the joystick part of the pad seeminly being the weak spots. I had a Gamecube second hand that gave up too (probably the disc drive) and it couldn’t have been more than two years old at that stage. Am I expecting too much from my products?
I thought that the DSLite was supposed to have a brighter screen than the DS. It was impressive when it worked. 
I haven’t heard much about the DSLite breaking. Had mine for a few months and no problems here (except for my thumb hurting when I play for too long ie a few hours). Of course I might be easier on it than a young boy (I certainly was easier on mine than my brother, who broke an original gameboy when we were younger.)
I think It’s supposed to have slightly longer battery life as well.
Can anyone recommend a good place to order an import of the DS browser? I can find it on ebay, but I really prefer buying things from faceless corporations to purchasing goods from an actual human being.
The plastic on the hinge cracks, as opposed to the whole hinge breaking. It’s cosmetic but Nintendo will fix it under warranty.
The super-bright screens alone are worth the price. Best damn screens on a portable gaming machine ever.
And I believe the DS Lite hinge issue was mostly with the early units. In any event, given Nintendo’s reputation for ruggedness and their generous no-hassle warranty, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it.
Wow - thanks everyone!
Great suggestions all around.
I’ll keep my eyes open for the US release of the MP3 player and Opera browser and report back whne I buy them, which I’m sure I will just so satisfy the dork/geek in me 