Really how much less is a dell? $500? Don't they have same amount of defects lately? Lets not confuse this with aesthetics... Yes apple makes pretty hardware, but if it has just as many issues as a dell, does it really matter?
If you honestly think about you know the answer.
Yup, about 500 bucks cheaper for comparable hardware. I didn't buy my MBP because of my looks, so I didn't even take that into consideration when I made my statement.
Assuming that what you said about hardware defects between Apple and Dell is true (I have no stats and you haven't shown any), I was taking in consideration the quality of Apple's service. I've gone through 3 replacement screens, and none of the times was I hassled or have to fight with the guys at the Apple store. The first screen took about 2 weeks for them to get, and they apologized for the inconvenience. The other 2 took a total turn around of 3 days, which is pretty dang good, considering that they had to order the part each time. The people I've dealt with have always been nice and patient, something that's hard to come by in computer service.
Apple's support is top notch. I've seen people bring in laptops 4-5 years old and they never turn them away. Try getting Dell to help you out with a laptop out of warranty.
While screen defects are out of the realm of control for manufacturers like Apple, Dell, HP, ect (they buy their panels from companies like LG, Samsung, ect), it's the support that matters if you happen to get a bad one.
Had I been using a Dell, I doubt Dell would replace my screen due to a bad case of backlight bleed. On the off chance that they did, they would replace the 1st replacement I got (shipping damage), but probably not the 2nd one over 2 stuck pixels, since most companies have a limit on the pixels needed to be stuck before replacing the screen.
If you happen to get a bad laptop, Apple will do their best to fix the problem (without hassling you, or speaking to non-English speaking tech support), and if they can't, they'll replace the laptop.
So far, the added price has been worth the quality of the service and product (asides from the screen, everything else is fine). I can't say the same for my POS Acer (that was not cheap when I bought it).
