Actually, Intel has very little advantage over AMD when it comes to dual core processors. Yes, the Athlon equivalent of a Core 2 will have a higher speed, but it will also be slightly cheaper. It is stupid to just say 'I don't like Athlons'. However, all of this is irrelevant if the person in question is using an Intel mobo.
That's because you need a high-end Pentium, not a low-end Pentium, for it to be as good as a low-end Core 2. The reason the Core 2 example you gave is so much more expensive than the Pentium, is because it's that much better. a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo is far better than a 2.5GHz Pentium Duo. On top of that, a 2.4GHz Core 2 is hardly low-end.
I think that you need to do some research on processors before you advise people on what to buy.
Actually, it's the lowest Core 2 Duo they offer.
And how, specifically, is the Core 2 Duo Better? From the specs I wrote, the Pentium looks like the superior CPU. And I did say that I only recommend Pentiums on low-end systems.