I vaped for about three weeks before I pulled the trigger on the Provari. The Darwin just didn't look as well constructed, but it also gets great reviews...
The ProVari allegedly has short protection, but I've honestly not tested it out. Haven't come across a bad one yet. I'd make sure I was going to stick with this before I'd lay out that kind of money...
Do you know for sure if your atty really has shorted? You can test this with a multimeter, if you have one. Just would hate to see that blamed if it's not the case. Short of getting a bad batch (not impossible) several shorted atties in such a small bunch would be an anomaly, especially on a relatively low voltage battery. Not impossible at all, but would be strange...
I'm leaning more towards a bad charger or something of that nature...
The eGo batteries rock. The ePower get good reviews too, but I'd be inclined to go for something that has an excellent reputation to stand on, like a genuine Joye eGo. You'd only be looking $15-18 for the battery alone, and starter kits can be found for $50 or less... That's way less than I spent on my first, lousy kit...
I'd hate to see you give up on vaping because you're not using good equipment. I did it three years ago, and I'm very fortunate to have come back to it to give it another try. I'm firmly off analogs now... can't stand the smell.