I've been watching and weighing since October last year, when I started considering seriously switching to Mac.
I own a 4 year old Alienware laptop and had my good and bad days with it. My theory is - invest in something that will see you running smoothly 3-5 years after you purchase it, so buy the best you can afford. I also spend a good amount of time investigating what I purchase in order to make as an informed decision as I possibly can. This means, being aware of all the negative issues which others experience. If one is patient enough, soon, a pattern emerges.
I have to admit, like a number of you I have built up fairly high expectations for a Mac product, largely based on the passionate number of fans' propaganda. What also contributed to it all was the cheek Mac has to run adds which pitch Mac against Windows, with the implication that Mac is better. In the final analysis, for me, I came down to two options Mac or IBM and given the significant number of problems which Mac owners experience, in comparison with IBM owners, it is a no brainer (and I mean comparing Mac dedicated forums with IBM dedicated forums) - IBM wins hands down.
However, what keeps me still in the Windows camp is the ... I am trying to be kind and fair to all concerned here ... brainwash \ hypnosis \ misleading ideology existent in some areas of the Mac camp, where despite all the obvious problems Mac users experience, there is still this 'Mac is superior to Windows' attitude. And this runs from the marketing department of the company to some of the fans.
I am a straight up guy and I will put my hand up when something is not right - that's probably the reason for which I am still sitting on the fence - but i really get hot under the collar whenever I read opinions which for example, on the one hand would consider a product to be of superior quality (and charge for it) and on the other, argue that one ought to go back to the manufacturer to exchange their machine until they hit a good one. It boggles my mind, really!
I feel with the good man who started this thread! I'm with you - I invest time and effort in making a good choice and when I am being let down it is disheartening. And I am still flabbergasted by the sheer number of Mac fans here who would encourage you to go back and pick another lottery ticket?!
Hang in there buddy - if Mac will not manage to come up with a machine that is really worth the money (and all the propaganda), there is always good old IBM.
(let the bombardment with criticism begin!)