"The outside of the case is scratched and starting to wear in places from being put into/taken out of protective carry cases..."
That sort of defeats the purpose of a PROTECTIVE case, doesn't it?
What color is the case where it is worn?
Personally, I'd like to enjoy my PE until it dies a natural death, so I keep it SAFE. I don't remove the micro-SD card, use only the stylus on the screens and carry it in a padded bag designed for a 12"-14" laptop. I'm happy to say there isn't a mark, scratch or break on it anywhere.
I don't know how long that will last, but even with the "market dance", I still like the PE and I'm still finding more uses for it each day. In retrospect, I'd have to say that I would have gladly accepted a little more weight if the outer case had been like an aluminum "Zero Centurion". But that might have inhibited the WiFi antenna.