5600 worth it? Or go with 5500?

I'm a seasoned Linux guy looking to get into Zaurus hacking. I plan on running kismet, with an 802.11b card, GPS, web browsing, simple remote access (ssh?), serial console. In short, there's many applications I'd like to try out, so my main use would be as a general purpose pocket-sized laptop, with *some* PIM usage (basic contacts/calandering but I'm sure I'll find other uses).

My question is two-fold. First of all, from purely a value standpoint, is the 5600 worth it? I see a lot of people happy with thier 5500's. Will I notice the 400Mhz? What things, if any, will I not be able to do with a 5500? I've heard battery life is dramatically better, is it that extreme? What are people's opinion on the difference in RAM? Does that have a noticeable impact on anything?

And secondly: development/hacking. Is the 5600 as supported? How large is the user base? Are the custom roms, compilers (gcc?), being worked on for the 5600, or will I be blazing my own trail so to speak? It seems like it hasn't caught on as much with the community, it's not even mentioned in the FAQ :-(

I get the sense the 5600's are hard to find, didn't sell as well and are being largely overshadowed by the C-series.

Hopefully some of you can provide me a little insight... thanks ;-)