Verified answer

you will definitely want to go pro for numerous reasons.

First, all of the pros are made with aluminum which is very nice. Aluminum provides a very sturdy, very thin, and very sexy profile, and its not that much heavier than plastic. As a bonus, aluminum actively reduces the heat inside the laptop. While plastic isn't necessarily an insulator, it doesnt actively get rid of heat. Instead, it relies on the fans to get rid of all of the heat, resulting in a very hot interior. Aluminum is not a conductor of heat like copper, but it does allow for heat to easily transfer to the outside environment. Its like when you cook on aluminum foil. Aluminum foil is very good for cooking because it doesnt block any of the heat from reaching the food. It allows heat to pass right through, and when you remove the foil from you oven, its almost immediately cool to the touch. So although your aluminum macbook pro may feel hotter on your lap, its actually cooler on the inside.

Second, you are getting much better performance from the additional 200$. You get an increase of .13 GHz in processor speed(while not really noticeable, its still nice to have). At 2 GB of RAM, your memory doesnt increase, but you do get the new generation of DDR3 ram, which is faster than last generation DDR2 memory like on the white macbook. Since RAM is used for just about everything, this increase in memory speed will be noticeable.

Third, you will get an illuminated keyboard not present on the white model. Backlit keyboards are especialy nice for dark situations and you no longer have to tilt your screen to shine light on your keyboard.

The screen on the macbook pro has a 60% increase in color gamut over the white model, so you can see more color and it wont look as distorted at different viewing angles.

Finally, the most important part of your upgrade. The white macbook has a standard lithium ion battery that is rated for 5 hours of normal use and will only get about 300 complete recharges before needing replaced. All macbook pros have been upgraded to specially designed lithium polymer batteries that are rated for 7 hours of use and can be recharged a total of 1000 times before needing replaced. Apple claims that these new batteries may last up to 5 years before needing to be replaced. These new batteries can easily beat any laptop battery on the market. The battery life of a laptop is easily the most important feature, and with an extended 2 hours of productivity and 700 more recharges than the white macbook, the macbook pro is definitely a better deal.

I personallly have the 13 inch, 2.53 GHz macbook pro, and let me tell you, it is an extraordinary machine.

P.S. don't listen to the other comment. Apple laptops are aggresively priced, and the only reason they cost more than other laptops is because they use the best hardware, software, and materials available. Most other PCs use cheap plastic and discount hardware to lower their costs, resulting in more problems than they're worth. You should be proud to go with apple.

Go for a macbook Pro for the reason it being the newer model and you can a better resale price if ever you got to sell it.

It has got firewire 800 port and a 7 hour lasting battery. Plus the new body makes it seem even more sexy and the multi-touch trackpad is just too good.

Get the Macbook,

and spend that 200 dollars on something else. :)

i recently got a macbook pro and it's gorgeous! I guess the pro is just better quality...here are some videos I recently edited usuing imovie!

http://www.youtube.com/user/HappyMeal606

get the pro it has longer battery life light up keyboard

newer interal parts

lighter thinner

more energy efficent

www.apple.com

and u get a student discount and a free ipod touch

neither

apple is ridiculously overpriced