Go for it. Buy the HP. Whatever choice you make doesn't have the slightest bearing on the rest of us. Float your boat. Now, if you're asking why I choose the MBP over the HP (or Sony Vaio Z or Dell XPS or ????), then that's a different story.
For me, specs are just a tiny, tiny, tiny part of what I'm looking for in a portable computer. Far more important to me are things like usability, the efficiency with which I get my work done, and the ease of interaction with the computer. Very-top of the list for why I like the MBP is the trackpad. Hands-down for me, a lightyear ahead of any other laptop manufacturers offering. Once you get used to the seemless multi-touch gestures on the MBPs, it's really hard to interact with any other laptop. Seriously, just go try the HP Envy or the Vaio Z touchpads after using the MBP. It's nearly unthinkable that such lousy input devices smear otherwise nice, expensive hardware from other manufacturers.
Another really important issue to me is the ease that the machine runs real-world software that I use. Mac OS X has advantages all over Windows 7 in this area, not the least is that its a far less attractive target for viruses and malware. My Mac OS applications work flawlessly (especially the Mac verisons of the Office products compared to W7 - I personally can 't stand the ribbon interface of Office 2007 on W7). Sure, Apple charges a premium for its hardware. You do get the bonus of OS X tuned to this hardware, which allows it to working seemlessly and blazingly fast. No shovelware, no bloatware, no turning my desktop into a virtual billboard for whatever company signed a contract with HP or Sony or Dell.
To take another relevant issue: the Mac just works. My laptop sleeps when I close the lid, and wakes in about 1.5 seconds when I reopen. I can't tell you have flawed this process has been on some very-high-end Windows laptops (hello Sony Vaio Z!). Keyboard backlighting just works (hello again Sony, which turns off the backlight when the screen brightness exceeds 50%). External monitors/projectors just work when I plug them in, no complex reconfiguration settings. A huge issue for me as I lecture frequently in various settings and classrooms and need my vugraphs to project, reliably and professionally everytime.
So, you're welcome to focus on specs. Go for it. I'm sure you'll be pleased and have everything you wish. No ones forcing you to buy the MBP or any other PC. You have to decide for yourself what's important. Me, I just choose the machine that works best for my real-world applications with no hassle, fewer problems, and an efficiency and ease of use at the top of the list, as these were my priorities. Yours may be different.
. That and the fact that HP finally came around and added a backlit keyboard. However, there is virtually no chance that apple will have another refresh soon. The current MBPs are here to stay; likely until early 2011.
