Can't say I've experienced any problems with my square taper cartridge bbs that my octalinks "solved". Some swear by the stiffness differences but that wasn't an issue for me. I do like the ease of crank removal (without a specific puller) with the new external type, though. On my various bikes I have all three standards; for me the question has been why change out perfectly good cranks just for new bb types? Maybe the newer bb30 standards will address problems with the small shells/bearings overall down the line. Was your old square taper a cartridge type bb or loose bearings?