considering refurb Macbook vs Macbook pro

[tjh8402]

Am considering taking the plunge and no longer being my familys lone PC hold out. I need a notebook for basic stuff - storing music, photos, and video, web browsing, some word processing, and maybe watching the occasional movie. I don't do any sort of special or heavy duty video or photo editing. I just want a reliable, simple, smooth and quick running, well engineered machine...think the 1990s Honda of computers. I'm looking at the following two refurb notebooks at the Mac store:

A macbook:
Refurbished MacBook 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - Apple Store (U.S.)

and macbook pro:
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 - Apple Store (U.S.)

my interest in the macbook pro was initially over its screen size - my current Sony Vaio has a 15" screen and I didn't want to downsize. Besides a general recommendation, I have several specific questions. What other capabilities with the Pro have to justify its additional cost? Realistically how long of a useful life would either of these machines have? Bear in mind I'm the sort that at 27 still drives the same car I got with my license at 16, kept my last cell phone till the buttons literally fell off, and who's aforementioned Sony is at least 5 years old, so length of useful life is something I'm big on. Thanks for your input.

 

[MYmacROX]

The MBP has a superior/faster processor and therefore can smoothly handle more of a work load. The MB does not have an SD card slot or FireWire. So if either of those are things you'd use to connect a peripheral with or transfer your camera's photos with, it's something to consider. The MB is a basic notebook for general use. It's more than capable of handling what you throw at it, aside from intense Photoshopping or movie editing. It can do simple home movie stuff with iMovie. I don't think you would be missing anything if you went with the MB, unless the SD slot or FW port are things you need.
Both notebooks should last you a minimum of 5 yrs. If you don't spill on them or drop them or throw them around in the car, you could easily get 10 yrs. Of course, 10 yrs from now they probably won't be capable of running the most recent Mac OS, but that's 10 yrs away.