Biggest negative on the premium vs pro: they use a solid block instead of a newton's ball. That's an easy fix; not a huge negative.

Both pro and premium are fun as hell to play.

The cost factor is real; but how real varies on the buyer. If cost was the only factor, then buying a routed pro would totally be the way to go.

Playing the pro on location certainly got me hooked; from there I debated pro vs premium. In the end, the "cost" of the extras I figure I'll make back when I sell the machine down the road. At least close enough to not matter. The cost of "renting" (purchase price, minus sales price) either one should be fairly comparable, whether the resale market goes up or down, so there's little downside to going for the nicer one. Other than tying up cash.

The pro is a great game, and the OP is gonna have a blast. The premium is a great piece of vibrant kinetic art.