That is completely the opposite of what happened to me. I killed 2 ceramic thrust bearings and have stuck with the steel ever since, never loosing a bearing after that. Kind of weird, eh?

As for ceramic, my advice is do a little research first. I've used them in my 710 and I can tell you that the ceramic balls are only one part of the bearing equation. There are the shields, race, and lubricant too and all combine to determine how well the bearing works.

Boca Bearings has a very good explaination of all these factors. (http://www.bocabearings.com). Expensive but I've had good and bad luck with them. While their quality is high, they tend to be a bit more fragile in a crash.

Acer also has a good deal on a set. I think it's www.acerbearings.com. They tend to be more durable than boca, at least for me, but they are not sealed. They have removable seals which are great for cleaning but eventually the seals come off by themselves. Boca's sealed bearings don't require cleaning much but if dirt does get it, getting it out is pretty hard.

Good luck/