One advantage to getting a Macbook Pro is the thunderbolt port. There are many cool devices coming out this summes such as one that will allow you to connect an external GPU through this port, like Vidock through the express slot but with less bottleneck. However, Sony VAIO is also planning to release a laptop with the thunderbolt port and maybe ASUS(a-soos) in a couple more months.
So, atm I'd recommend a Macbook Pro 13, it would be $1149 with the educational discount plus a "free" $100 printer and if you wait a few more days for the Back to School sale you can get a ~$200 iPod touch. If we imagine that you were going to get those items anyways, the laptop would be only ~$850. From there it's only a $150-200 difference from a computer with equivalent specs which isn't too bad considering you're also getting thunderbolt I suppose.
http://www.sonnettech.com/news/nab2011/
http://www.notebookcheck.net /Upcom...t.53796.0.html
