Do you guys expect a lot from your MacBook Pro's?

[samuelk0814]

Just to give a comparison: I owned a 15'' rMBP for a month and it was quite simply the BEST computer I've ever used, no joke. very fast, and great screen (while watching a high-res movie, the colors just popped and everything looked so crystal clear and 3D). But then my brother's computer broke down, so I decided to return it and get a Macbook Air for him and an HP computer for me. WORST DECISION OF MY LIFE! The HP (which was their top premium line, their HP Envy 15) was pretty shoddy; when upgraded to Windows 8, the brightness settings stopped working and was stuck at full brightness, which was more like 60% of the MBP's full brightness. The Backspace key started SQUEAKING (it sounded like a mouse dying, it was that bad) and it creaked. On top of that, it was a discontinued model bought on ebay and the seller gave me a hard time about restocking fees (he charged $180 and only lowered to $60 after numerous emails about the faultiness of the computer).
To all, buy Apple. Their customer service and their premium computers are really premium, and you won't regret it.
Thanks all

 

[Johbremat]

I expect my MBPs to last longer primarily because OS X is engineered to run on a particular subset of hardware. Because of this, you can expect (well, hope) that support for the hardware will continue for an extended period because of the small number of target configurations.

Windows and *nix needs to support a near-infinite number of configurations, as well as battle with manufacturers writing shabby drivers (in the past. WQHL has done wonders for this issue). Unfortunately, it's still a chore finding a notebook PC from 3 years ago that will run anything other than Ubuntu, whereas Apple are supporting 4 year old machines with the release of Mountain Lion.

I'll contest, though, any claims that suggest that MBP are the be-all and end-all. Sony and Lenovo (and IBM before them) have built some of the best laptops, notebooks and desktop replacements I've ever had the pleasure of using (hell, even the Toshiba Libretto was pieces of brilliant). And even if they ever release an OtterBox for the MBP, you'll never have replace a Panasonic ToughBook.

It truly is about the tools for the job.