Is the i5 worth the extra $400? Refurbished Core 2 Duo Vs. i5

[codycartoon]

I bought the first intel MBP 4 years ago. Despite some battle scars it has survived through college and I'm now ready to get a new machine, that will take me through another 4 years. I started off doing a lot of video editing but now I have shifted to predominately web development, Ruby, HTML, CSS, etc.

I'm between the following two options:

Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

$1,349

vs.

15-inch: 2.4GHz i5.

$1,699.00 (student discount)

--

Basically, is it worth the extra $400 (what it comes out to in tax) for the i5?

I will be glued to this computer and use it everyday, but most of my tasks now are not too heavy. What I most want is a really durable computer that will last me 4 years. Money is tight, I'm working on a startup.

Any advice on the longevity of the Core 2 Duo vs i5 would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[techound1]

Because the i5 is the latest iteration, it will have more longevity in the Mac OS lifecycle, so in that respect it has better legs.

Because more and more media is moving to the web, it wouldn't hurt to have the i5 because even if you're focusing on just web stuff now, that may change in 4 years.

If money is really, really tight, buy hit the free printer rebate and resell it to net an extra $60-ish.

 

[codycartoon]

Are there any stats out there comparing Core 2 Duos and i5's?

 

[JNickyJJ]

I personally feel that the i5 is worth the extra 400

you say you lasted 4 years with one, getting the newer model will make it a bit more 'futureproof' and if you got the c2d you would always wish you had got the i5