Trying to pick enough power in Macbook Pro but need to conserve on cost

Question

There are so many flavors to pick from. Not just Vanilla. Basically I guess there are 2 main variations. Core2Duo and Core i3/5/7 series. Looks like the Core2Duos officially support 4gb ram and unofficially 6gb while the Core I-series support up to 8gb?
You can always upgrade ram and hard drives so not worried on initially what mine comes with. I'd like to be as futureproof as possible, but do I need one that will hold 8gb? Also there's bus speed, etc, etc. So many specs.
I anticipate I will be doing mostly things on Internet. Web browsing, online radio, maybe some YouTube videos though much less.
So whether to go with a Core2Duo system or an I-series? Help!

Answer 1

starbux48 wrote:
unibody design making you take your MBP into Apple to replace the battery which will eventually have to be replaced on any rechargeable device. But, it's only $129 for the 15" models and you can pay almost that much for a battery for pre-unibody MBPs.
And that $129 will get you a much longer-lasting battery than the $129 battery for my older MacBook Pro. That's what Apple gained by replacing all of the protective battery shell and latches with additional battery cells. It's not that hard to replace the unibody battery; if it fails under warranty, just have Apple replace it and if it fails after the warranty runs out, just buy one and replace it yourself. It actually isn't very hard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42qcvlftmcM
ifixit.com has instructions and sells used batteries.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-MacBook-Unibody-Model-A1342-Batter y/1667/
As for your purchase in general, the uses you talked about are definitely within the Core 2 Duo's power. That's why I still use my "old" Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro with no complaints. Getting the i5 is merely for longevity, not because it will improve your experience any, but since you do want it to last a while the i5 seems like a good choice.