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Next week I’m going to buy either a high-end Macbook or a low-end Macbook Pro. They are very similar machines, with a couple key differences that may or may not justify the $700 price difference. Following is a feature-by-feature comparison, assembled to help me decide whether the Pro is worth the extra money.

Similarities
cpu:	2.0 GHz Duo	2.0 GHz Duo
disk rpm:	5400	5400
usb 2.0 ports:	2	2
firewire ports:	1 (400)	1 (400)
wifi interface:	802.11b/g	802.11b/g
optical drive:	DVD±RW, CD-RW	DVD±RW, CD-RW
ethernet:	gigabit	gigabit
Bluetooth:	yes	yes
iLife bundle:	yes	yes
optical digital audio i/o:	yes	yes
iSight camera:	yes	yes
Differences
RAM:	256MBx2	512MBx1
ExpressCard/34:	no	yes
video card:	Intel 950	Radeon X1600
dedicated VRAM:	no	yes
disk capacity:	60 gb	80 gb
backlit keyboard:	no	yes
weight:	5.2 lbs	5.6 lbs
screen size:	13.3''	15.4''
resolution:	1280x800	1440x900
max battery life:	6 hrs	4.5 hrs
case:	plastic (white)	aluminum alloy
Price:	$1299	$1999 ($1849 $1499 at Amazon)

Taking the differences in turn:

• I wouldn’t recommend keeping the default RAM configuration of 512 MB because there are few easier ways to make a computer slow down than running it with insufficient RAM. I’ll personally upgrade either machine to 1GB total, or possibly 2GB.
  Both machines realize a performance benefit from having a matched pair of DIMMs, e.g. 2x512 (1GB total) or 2x1024MB (2GB total).
  It’s worth noting that because the default Macbook configuration consists of 2x256MB, a future RAM upgrade is more expensive than it would be on the Pro, because both 256MB modules would have to be discarded to make room for higher-density DIMMs. Both models have only two available RAM slots.
• The Pro has a faster video subsystem; it has dedicated VRAM and an upgraded video card. For people planning to play games or do video processing (e.g. via iMovie) this would be valuable. If like me you spend most of your time typing text into terminal windows and web forms, this upgrade is less compelling.
• The Pro has an ExpressCard/34 slot, which allows the use of expansion cards, e.g. Firewire 800 interfaces, memory card readers, cellular wifi cards, etc.
  Initially I thought I’d be interested in the Firewire 800 interface, because I plan to use this computer to record 16 channels of 24-bit audio simultaneously — that’s a lot of data — but research indicates that any single hard drive is slower than the Macbook’s built-in Firewire 400 bus, making such an upgrade pointless.
  Still, having the possibility of future expansion is attractive, even if not immediately useful.
• The hard drive in the Pro is 20GB bigger — nice to have, although for me not relevant. I’ll probably upgrade to a 7200 RPM drive in a year anyway as that’s a performance boost one can feel, especially when rebooting or launching large applications.
• The Pro has a backlit keyboard. I really want this feature. I’m constantly squinting at the my Powerbook’s keyboard (which is ironic given that the QWERTY keycaps don’t match what I’m typing anyway). On the other hand, I could buy a $5 USB-powered LED lamp instead of a computer that costs $700 more.
• The Macbook is not quite a half-pound lighter. That’s a nontrivial difference for anyone who travels.
  I can always identify people who have been going to too many tech conferences; one shoulder hangs an inch lower than the other.
• The Pro has a bigger screen — 2.1 diagonal inches and 272,000 pixels. I’d miss this if I bought the small unit.
  Of course, the Macbook has a longer batter life, due in large part to the smaller screen. This isn’t a tough tradeoff for me, but if I spent more time on airplanes or at conferences where power is hard to find, the Macbook would be a better choice.
• The plastic case on the Macbook has the advantage of not interfering with wifi signals. My G4 Powerbook has terrible wifi performance due to the titanium case. I’ve read that Apple has relocated the antenna on its current models to address this problem, but I’m not sure how effective this fix is. I wouldn’t be surprised of the Macbook’s airport performance is superior to the Pro’s. My wife’s G4 iBook smokes my Powerbook in this regard.

So what would the extra $700 really buy me? A bigger screen, but shorter battery life… a backlit keyboard, but potentially inferior wifi performance.

Or, on the other hand, it could buy me a couple nice microphones!

Hmm, anybody want to buy a well-loved Powerbook for $550?