I had a '96, and can honestly say it was the most durable handheld scanner I ever owned, and I've been buying handheld scanners since 1987 and have owned probably upwards of 50 different models.
Frankly I sometimes wish I had kept it as a backup...but now I am addicted to the '106 (once I modified the BNC jack and its wiring) and can't see myself looking for a '96 again, even if it was cheap at a hamfest...