Hi there,
There is not a lot of difference to be perfectly honest with you.
The only real difference is the built in DVD Remote IR, otherwise it is pretty much the same. Oh, that and the nice Silver colour.
I just know someone will put the 'Improved Laser for DVD-R Support.' It actually isn't any different to the ones in all V5-V8 consoles. Sony just realise that people need to backup their games so it is just a little marketing ploy. This does NOT mean you can play backup games WITHOUT a modchip. (That one's for the newbs who may get a little confused. I get plenty of those e-mails regarding that subject at the moment
). You have a Messiah 2 mod though, so it appears you have your head screwed on the right way. M2 are the best IMHO!
Hope this helps,
LUFCfan (Yes, I know we're crap)!