A big point in favor of the Apple laptops is the construction method. I though the whole "carved out of a brick of aluminum" was just a gimmick until I held one, but it isn't. There's no flex of any kind, and since I literally am traveling for half my life (for my job), durability is very important. The thing is absolutely the most solid laptop I've ever held in my hands. I won't say it's indestructible, because it isn't, but the chassis is very, very solid.
I've had my 13" MacBook Pro for about three and a half years now, and the only servicing it's needed has been a new battery a few weeks ago (I'm very hard on them), and a replacement rubber foot -- $129 and $10, respectively. (Similar price to replacement Dell batteries, incidentally; Apple's price here in very reasonable.)
I have a fast Windows machine at home, but for laptops and small screens, the Mac OS really does well.