Specifically i want to know how they differ in terms of actual theology/philosophy. I understand that the initial split occurred between Abu Bakr and a blood relative of Muhammed's whose name i don't remember, but what are the material belief differences between the two?

there are somes differencies between them, the list is so borring to write, but know something :
normally we don't have to be splitted like that, there are fucking mad religious that make that,

i'm not shiite, not sunnit, only muslim :)

I will complement this, saying that shiite nor sunnit are "extremist". Sometimes the press says that shiites are "radicals" and sunnits are "moderated", or vice-versa, but that doesn't make sense.

One of my college professors once said that Shiites have a more staunch view on the need to convert nonbelievers compared to Sunnis

I'm sorry. I can't explain it in English but there is a big difference between sunnis and shiites.

Honestly I try to consider sunni and shiite are same type of muslim. i am technically sunni though. Basically in history one group (Sunnis) wanted the caliphs (Mohammeds friends and religios scholars) to become the new leaders but the other group (shiiites) wanted Mohammed's nephew to become the new leader. There are many other differences as well but this difference started it all.

Yes, that's what i get at the outset, but where did that lead in terms of substantial belief differences, if anywhere?

There is also Sufism or Suffi , you don't hear from them much because most of the extremist fights are between the sunna and shiia , but i'm like that first poster, am too lazy to explain the difference since they're very minor.

I have a question too.

A friend of mine is Muslim and came over to my house. I had my Bible laying on the ground and he freaked. He said the Bible was a holy text the word of the prophet Jesus and that it must not be degraded by laying it on the ground". I asked another Muslim friend about it and he said too that the Bible is a holy text and that I was greatly offensive by having mine on the ground.

But what I don't get is how the Bible could possibly be considered a Holy Text when the New Testiment clearly says Jesus is God? I asked one friend and he said that the Bible was tampered with and tainted over the years by selfish people trying to distort the truth. But then the question I wonder is , How could the current Bible if tainted and tampered with be a Holy Text.

My friends couldn't answer and they said they would ask their Imam. Since then none of us have brought it up. However I am soo confused is The Bible considered a Holy Text in Islam. If it is then how can it be considered so? Were my friends out of their minds. I couldn't see how the Bible could be considered a Holy Text in Islam.

Can a Islamic believer explain? Its the one thing I am completely confused over!

I think what they mean is you, as a christian, should believe that it is a holy text and shouldn't through it at the ground.