Orange isn't actually better than Purple, it's just different. Orange items can be continually upgraded by mods, where a purple just has built in stats. I read a post by the mods about orange, that originally they were meant to be copper, with silver and gold above them, but then they changed the system.
I'm still using my Orange Lightsaber I got from the quest, as mods make it better than the greens I'm come across. I'm thinking if I find a nice blue or Purple I throw in in the bank just in case it's eventually better, but I can't see it lasting forever.