I'll tell you one thing: a white macbook is not a good laptop for travelling a lot. Mine is busted along the seams, the hard drive failed after 5 months, and the plastic above the hard drive has now turned yellow, I assume because of the heat. Also, the keyboard is missing a lot of standard keys for my language.
I wish I had gone for the IBM x series instead. They look like they can handle the travel much better.
Agreed. White does not travel well. I've learned there's a reason most travel gear is sold in black -- it hides the dirt and scratches!
To keep my white MacBook looking clean, I bought a ProTouch keyboard cover from iSkin, and a "PalmGuard" wristpad covers from Moshi -- and even then, I try to use an external keyboard and mouse as much as possible to reduce wear and tear on the laptop.
I'm glad Apple's brief flirtation with white laptop design is over.
I recommend a thin hardcase like the ones from Incase and Speck. The one I use is the clear one from Incase (they call it "frost"), and while it protects against the usual stains, scrapes, etc. it has the unexpected side effect of making the glowing Apple logo on the lid look absolutely amazing in the dark.
I wish I had gone for the IBM x series instead. They look like they can handle the travel much better.