James,
Something to note about the RAM installed in these machines is that the Black MB comes with 2x512MB cards, so if you don't get the 2GB upgrade from Apple, you'll have to buy 2 new 1GB RAM sticks and have both of those 512's left over (to sell or not). The 2.16GHz MBP comes loaded with 1x1GB...so upgrading after the fact isn't as annoying.
The 2.16 macbook pro comes with 1gb according to the mac website, i would look to upgrade it to 2gb when ive saved up some more but im looking at ordering soon. Whats the battery life comparison?
I'm not sure what people are experiencing for real-world figures, but apples site lists the MB life as "up to 6 hours" and the MBP as "up to 5 hours". I've been going back and forth about which one of these machines to get, and FWIW I did put them side by side at the Apple store and unplug the power from each. The MBP does have a larger screen, and more powerful processor, and therefore it does suck down battery power a bit quicker.
The MBP is definitely a nicer machine, but it's also a good deal more expensive. One thing that turns me off about the MB are that the internal speakers are just plain terrible. The MBP doesn't have great onboard sound quality either (these *are* laptops), but even at full volume I had trouble hearing music playing through the MB in the store with people milling about and talking, and the sound is thin and tinny.
There's a lot of speed comparisons out there for you to read, but from what i've gathered...
The processor speed difference between these 2 machines in normal use is almost neglegable. It would be noticed most in heavy tasks that require a long time to complete, and thus the MBP would inch forward little by little. If you're going to be doing mostly web development, with a few apps open at once, you'll probably notice more of a difference from RAM.
IMO, if you're going to have the machine for 3, 4, 5 years....and you can max the RAM out on either one within a year after you get it...i'd look more at whether or not either one will be obsolete much quicker than the other. I think the only big disadvantages that the MB has in your case are the lesser video RAM, and the fact that it's maxed out at 2GB. If we were comparing the white MB to the MBP, the price difference would warrant those deficiencies, IMO...but when the price difference is lessened to $500, or less after the MB RAM upgrade...it's something to consider...whether you want to miss that money now, or possibly have to upgrade to a new machine sooner next time around.
Hope that helps. They're both fine computers, and although the MBP is superior, not everyone needs the extra features/upgrades. It's a matter of finding a healthy medium for your price point and your needs (now, and down the road).
-Nick