<p>I'm sure there are a hundred threads out there, but since I've searched through most of them without getting a clear answer, I thought I'd reopen the question. </p>
<p>If I get the Macbook Pro, it will be the low-end 13" model that has most of the same specs as the Macbook--the only differences being the backlit keyboard, the Firewire port (which I've never used, and will probably never use in the future), the SD card slot, and the 2GB of RAM. Also, there is an obvious difference in the material that the laptop is made of. </p>
<p>For a student who is not planning on doing anything involving media or graphics, is the Macbook enough, or would you recommend the Macbook Pro? And which one has a better chance of lasting for four years? Thanks!</p>
<p>I was confronted with exactly the same decision and ended up getting the 13" Pro model for my daughter. If you are buying with an education discount, you only get $50 off the MB, while you get $100 off the MB Pro, which makes the price difference a little bit closer. We then decided that the aluminum case and the backlit keys were worth the extra money. </p>
<p>We bought our son a MacBook 4 years ago, when he entered college, and it is still going, albeit somewhat beat up. The hard drive just failed, but Apple replaced it for free (I’m still amazed!). One corner of the case is badly cracked from one too many drops, but that doesn’t seem to affect overall function. So, the plastic MacBook made it through 4 years of hard use, but I’m hoping the aluminum MacBook Pro will stand up a little better.</p>
<p>AN easy way to up the specs is to custom order some of the things you want for your computer on the Apple website. I just ordered my MBP and added 80GB of harddrive space for $45. So while you’re spending an extra $45, you’re getting something that is significantly more than the plain ol’ Macbook.</p>
<p>Just FYI, memory upgrades are very expensive thru Apple but VERY easy to upgrade yourself.
Wife is a PHD candidate and other 2 kids get along fine on Macbooks.</p>