honestly you can't really compare anything with the macbook pro - nothing matches the screen resolution,
so if you want that you have to pay, period.
For those that aren't hung up on screen resolution, and want any of
- price / performance
- compatibility with 80% of the rest of the World (i.e. the non-Mac community), including things like web browsing, video, and more
- flexibility
- want hardware and software options
- prefer to be able to fix components when they go wrong, rather than replace an entire device
- and more ...
... well, it's pretty obvious that there are a range of attractive alternatives to Apple.
I greatly respect the Mac brand ... it's particularly great for non-technical beginners ... but every time I've walked into a Mac store my eyes have watered at the pricing. This was particularly rammed home during a dispute (when they literally lost my iPad!) during which they were offering to give me a big discount on something as a compensation, and even after the big discount everything I was offered still cost more than I could get on the high street.
It's not at all surprising that Apple is the richest company in the World ... so if you like what they have and have the cash to spare, go ahead and make them even richer!
At the end of the day there's a close parallel with this debate, and the HG / Walkup debate (bringing this neatly back to the subject of this forum!!) ... your choice comes down to personal preference, cash flow, image, and the effort you're willing to make to do research and shop around