What made you choose Apple apart from OSX?

I have used different Macs before and I have mixed feelings.
I used to own an iMac G4 (the table lamp thing) and I quite liked it but it wasn't very portable.
I bought a used Powerbook G3 when I went to university and although it was quite old and the specs were really low, it was all I needed at the time and I never had a problem with it.
It was not noisy and heat was practically nonexistent.
Everything changed when I bought a Macbook Pro (1st rev) when they first came out and I had lots of problems with it.
The build quality was quite bad, there were gaps in some places and the lid was warped.
I went through a few units until I finally got one that was acceptable.
The second problem was a whining noise when the cpu was idle which was apparent on all first rev's and Apple later acknowledged the problem and offered a free motherboard replacement for affected units.
I got my motherboard replaced free of charge but the noise was still there (although not as much) and I thought that was unacceptable after paying so much money for a premium product so I finally sold it.
Right now I'm using my girlfriends Powerbook G4 which also has some problems.
Only one usb port works at a time, the left speaker doesn't work sometimes and the mic port seems to have a loose connection and produces only mono sound.
Granted the Powerbook G4 is also 5 years old now.
I'm deciding to buy a new laptop now and after playing around with some pretty current models from Asus, Toshiba and Sony I thought that I might give Apple another try but I need some convincing especially now that the new Vaio Z offers i7 cpu's, SSD's and a 330m mobile gpu with 1gb vram which is more than even the top of the line Macbook Pro's offer all in a 13" form factor and the same weight as the Macbook Air.
I will be running Linux as my main OS so even though OSX is nice I would only use it as a backup OS.

So I'm interested in your stories.
What made you guys choose an Apple product over all the other brands out there apart from OSX?

 

Build quality and the looks! Im a sucker for eye candy!!
My main reason is because I want to learn the SDK for building some apps, but you cant fault Apple when it comes to design and simplicity!
This is my very first Apple system - only had it a month or so, but lovin' it so far!

 

If I was using Linux as my primary OS, I wouldn't be getting a Mac.

But I love OSX, and how Apple makes their laptops, so its not a tough choice for me... I've never has the quality issues that you seem to, mines been pretty much the same or a bit better than any other major company.

Your question has a problem. Macs are about a "whole package" thing that includes OSX. Asking about it without taking into account OSX is useless. Thats sort of like asking why someone chose a can of Dr. Pepper over a bottle of Coke to drink, but discount the liquid inside, just why did you choose the container.

 

Build quality.

If I'm using something everyday, it can't look like a crap 6 months down the road.

 

Thanks for your input and thoughts on the subject guys, I really appreciate it!

A few people I have been talking to lately have told me that I should only consider a Mac if I'm using OSX as a main OS.
While I know that Apple's hardware/software integration with OSX is much better than what the competition is offering I still don't quite understand why not more people can recommend a Mac just for the hardware or is it that most people would rather recommend a cheaper laptop if it's just being used with Windows or Linux?

 

Unibody was, and still is, slickest design in a laptop computer. Although I've passed my MBP 15" on to my daughter and use an Alienware now, I truly miss that 1" thick design...

 

quality of screen + size of screen + battery life + overall speed and performance + style.

 

Build Quality and I have always liked the White Macbooks. Don't know why I just do. I'd list more but you said apart from OS X

Plus for when I feel like a change I have Linux and Windows through VMWare and also Windows 7 through bootcamp. Almost never need Linux or Windows for my purposes but it's nice to know if I want to mess with them I can.

 

Battery Life (just amazing on the MBP 2010), Build/Style !

 

The way Apple builds their laptops and the way it looks. Battery life too.

It just seems to me a lot of the other popular makes like Dell and HP don't give a crap about how well the laptop is built and how it looks. They certainly don't give a crap about the battery life either.

And lastly, the innovation is there. MagSafe is a good example. Dell and HP couldn't come up with something like that? They haven't even attempted to copy Apple...

Just lack of imagination from the PC makers I think...Apple has plenty of it.

 

I can see this going down hill quickly. Seems more like you're looking for a Mac vs PC argument? I'll play along...

The touch pad is the best I've ever used, its quiet, thin case, it isn't flashy but still looks nice, good build quality, service and the mag safe connector.

 

Thanks for your input. I didn't even think about the new touchpad.
My 1st rev Macbook Pro still had the smaller touchpad without gestures.
You're right though, the trackpad is one of the best I've ever seen on a laptop.

I'm definitely not looking for a Mac vs PC argument and I don't want this to turn into a flame thread with arguments lacking all kinds of substance.
I'm sorry if I gave you that impression but I'm seriously just looking to get other peoples opinions on Apple hardware.
I don't want a simple spec by spec comparison with other brands but rather some personal opinions on usability, reliabilty, bettery life, heat, noise, etc... and maybe some other factors I haven't thought about yet.

So far I really like the input in this thread and I hope it continues this way.
Thanks everybody

 

Apple's hardware is so good because I think they make it themselves to work so seamlessly with the OS.

Other manufacturers make the product and they don't make the OS so they don't have the first hand experience on what makes the hardware and software cooperate best.

 

Hardware wise I think Apple is at par with the other high end PC brands like Sony or Lenovo's Thinkpad series in terms of reliability (Since they basically get from the same suppliers). What I think made Apple my choice apart from software is their above average after sales customer service.

 

i chose my new core i5 macbook pro for the look and build quality more than anything, and the fact that it's fun to play with os x from time to time. i do my work and gaming on a win7 rig, but for casual internetting and "coffee shop" chillax time, i like dorkin' around with apple products. plus, it just renders fonts better.

 

I stick to Windows or Linux in virtual machines if I need/want them.

When I have installed Linux directly, there is often driver and functionality issues. Windows is a bit better, since Apple makes some drivers for it.... but Linux can be a major pain...

For a really greatly built and well thought out machine... its great. But you'll never get the ease of use and full functionality without using OSX. but.... OSX is fantastic, I pretty much ended any need I had for Linux when I went to OSX as my primary OS. Pretty much anything you can do on Linux, you can do on OSX.

 

in response the the thread title... I was curious and wanted to experiment as a metrosexual

 

LOL, that was funny.

And to respond to the OP question:

I was threatened at gunpoint by a Fry's store representative.

P.S. This thread is flamebait

 

Out of the last three Mac notebooks I've used (Macbook Pro 3.06ghz, 2.93ghz and a 17" G4 1.5ghz), the only glaring issue was they all got rather toasty under load and audible (nowhere near the level of most of my Win gaming notebooks).

I LOVED my PowerMac G5 DP 2.5ghz because it was insanely quiet and like it and the notebooks, very elegant.

My 30" ACD will be 6yrs old this November and is still chugging along.

I fight the urge usually once a week to order a AG 17" 2.66ghz.

 

I just replaced my son's Merom MacBook Pro. My daughter has one right now. They suffered from the known nVidia problem, excessive heat and my son has had Superdrive problems. Clearly not the best generation of Macs. I offered my son a new system several months ago but he still liked his enough to keep it. I just decided to get one for him as he had been complaining about the superdrive and heat for some time. The current generation is much, much better in terms of build quality and components and it has the high-res screen which he likes.

I have a Penryn MBP and it's been fine. Zero problems with it. It does everything that I need out of a laptop. That said, I would get a 15 inch high-res today if I were getting something new but I can't justify a replacement. I expect my current laptop to be my main laptop for the next three to five years.

I love Mac OS X. I also like the high level of service from the Apple Store. I work about 1/2 mile from one. If you live far away from a store, then you might be less willing to pay the extra cost of Apple products. I like the styling. I like the fact that I can use the same power supply for all of our MacBook Pros. I have two residences and leave the power supplies there. I have a bunch of Dells, and only two share the same power supply.