Well, with a lot of issues on the original Macbook, I got the option to upgrade (had to pay the difference) to a macbook pro, and after waiting 3 days, the replacement machine has arrived. Its the 2.16ghz Core 2 Duo version, and my gosh these machines are a lot better. Of course you lose a bit in terms of size, but here are some of the things I noticed.

• Wrist doesn't hurt when you type. That edge on the macbook got a bit annoying
• Heat - gets warm, but no where as hot as the macbook
• Weight - Doesn't feel as heavy
• Noise - A lot more quiet, probably due to the heat

So if you're divided between the macbook pro and macbook, go for the macbook pro if you can afford it. I initially took the dive for the macbook because the price difference didn't seem to justify itself for what I do (I don't play games...). The only things I noticed better with the Macbook was the battery life, wireless reception, and smaller power brick.

Just wanted to give you guys the experience with the 2 machines.

If you're comparing the new Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro to the old Core Duo MacBook, then yes, you would expect it to be a lot cooler. However, even the low end MacBooks are now Core 2 Duo which should make them run much cooler as well.

i'm planning on 'downgrading' from a 2.16CoreDuo MBP to a Core2Duo black macbook. i dont need the video card and thats why i went for the mbp to start with. i havent really used it to this day. i feel size and battery life win over graphics performance.

Indeed, the battery life of the macbook was awesome, but at the same time, there were way too many problems with my machine and the replacement. I hope your experience with the macbook will be a lot better.

As for the comment about the C2D version of Macbook being cooler, but I hear that they are still a bit hot

Similar to what I suspect my wife will do, drop from mbp 2.0 down to a black macbook c2d next year.

Macbook:
Macbook Pro:

Is it just a psychological thing because the MBP is larger, so it feels less dense, rather then actually being lighter?

well i'm not too sure now. apple are replacing my dud mbp 2.16 with a new core2duo as it's been through 4 logic boards within 2 weeks.

i was thinking about selling the replacement to get the macbook and pocketing the difference - but after borrowing a mates black macbook last night, i decided to keep the macbook pro.

quality seems to be alot higher on the finish. wasnt a fan of the mirror screen either - looks like i'll stay a mbp boy

could you please tell me how you get the replacement option? through apple center or by calling apple customer service? i've got 2 logic boards replacement, not sure whether the third is waiting for me. just can't stand for the heat.