Mac Forums

i'm a high school student looking into purchasing a new laptop. my current computer is quite large, doesnt fit inside my backpack, and is a bit of a chore to use. the battery life also can range from an hour to an hour and a half.
now, im looking into buying a macbook, but I'm trying to decide between a macbook or amacbook pro. what are the differences? what are the pros of each, cons of each? i have an 8 hour school day (8:30- 4:30), 50 mins of which is lunch, and 10 mins of which is break (5 mins AM, 5 mins PM).
i personally like the look of the macbook better- it seems more intimate. and the price is much better. I don't want to have to be saving up for years for this computer, but i don't want to be shelling out too much for too little. if the macbook is almost equal to the pro for 500 dollars less, then i'm going with the macbook.
PLEASE help- prodictivity is KEY.
also- im a life-long PC user- how long does it usually take to adjust to the MAC interface?