Imac Core 2 vs Core i5 - which one for everyday use?

Planning to replace my current iMac with a new 27" model in the very near future. I can't decide whether to go for the 'basic' core 2 model or stump up the extra for a core i5 model (an extra £250 here in the UK).
Don't know whether anyone has experience of using both but would welcome any feedback on the relative performance in day-to-day use. I'm not into games or heavily processor intensive tasks (eg video encoding); I'll mostly just be web browsing, using iLife (iPhoto mainly), MS Office etc.
Will I notice any real performance difference? Is the extra worth it?
I intend to keep it for at least 3 years so an element of future proofing would be nice (although my current 2006 2.16 Core 2 iMac is still going strong).

I've owned both systems and trust me, the i5 is noticeably faster even on day to day stuff. You also get the better video card. Seriously, it's a no brainer, get the i5. The C2D is certainly no slouch but it doesn't compare and it's much older technology. The i5 turbo's up automatically to 3.2ghz if only one or two of the cores are in use and the memory controller is integrated into the cpu instead of the motherboard which eliminates that bottleneck as well. Macworld summed it up perfectly:
*Macworld’s buying advice*
With the new 2.66GHz Core i5 iMac and the 2.8GHz Core i7 iMac, Apple has not only blurred the line between consumer and professional systems, it's darn near erased it. The 2.66GHz Core i5 iMac offers faster performance at most tasks than the 2.66GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro. The Core i5 iMac also has more memory and more storage space than the 2.66GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro, while being $500 less (plus you get a 27-inch screen with the iMac). Unless you absolutely require additional PCI cards, multiple internal hard drives, or a lot of RAM, the Core i5 iMac makes a strong case for being the go-to system for most Mac professionals.
Cheers!
James

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