Daydreamer81

I need a new laptop for college and I was wondering if a Macbook would cut it for me or if I should buy a macbook pro. I'm going to be a biological science major and most likely will be going to be a pre-med student if that matters.

Another_Adam

Both will last fine. The two computers themselves are close to the same. It's more or less between picking a car with the standard package, or the same car with the fully upgraded package.

The Pro has the following, which the normal does not... (base model Pro)

Unibody aluminum casing
Multi-touch glass trackpad
SD slot
Firewire 800
Backlit keyboard
Capability of 8gb RAM
DDR3 RAM
.13 faster processor
Up to 7 hours battery life (I myself have gotten more than 7)

(I personally would/did go with the pro, for the above reasons. My high school also used the white MacBooks, and they discolored fairly quickly, though can be cleaned.)

silence_kit

is the battery life of the pro longer than the regular macbook?

if not, then the other reasons aren't worth spending $200 for.

aforautumn

go with the standard.
any computer over $400 will do everything you need it to do. period.

Another_Adam

40%+ longer life.

The screen is also higher quality, though I don't know tech specs on that.

ab2013

If you're tight on money, go for the MB Standard. Imo the given hardware specs are very similar to each other. MBP is better only because it has faster memory, an aluminum body, a slightly faster processor, a better battery life, and a better (more advanced) screen. But you can live without those.

AbbyP

I've gotten more than 7 hours out of my Macbook standard though...and it's not even the new one, it's the old white one. The new "eco-friendly" one gets better battery life than the old one, right?

Another_Adam

The only "MacBook" they make anymore is the white polycarbonate. At WWDC, they dropped the unibody MacBook, revamped it, and placed it under the "MacBook Pro" name.

The 13" MacBook Pro's battery is better than the 13" MacBook, though, yes.

echoes600

go with a 13" macbook pro. the battery is amazing and the shell is bound to last longer.