My next notebook: 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

It will soon be time to retire my Dell XPS 13 notebook. The machine has been a solid workhorse but it is now almost four years old and out of warranty, so it's living on borrowed time. That means it is time to choose a new portable system.

After a lot of careful consideration, I've chosen my next system: the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.

So, why have I decided to pick up an OS X system when I could have picked up a comparable Windows system for less money?

Here's why.

• Reliability: While I've had good service from my Dell XPS 13, the machine has been repaired more times than I can remember. This mirrors my experience with other Windows notebooks from a variety of OEMs. While I'm not suggesting that Apple hardware is infallible -- it's not -- the overall build quality of Apple's hardware is much better. On top of that, AppleCare warranty offers a no-nonsense protection plan. It's not cheap, but it's good.
  
• Retina display: The MacBook Pro's Retina display is so easy on the eye that it's hard to ignore. Packing 2880 x 1800 pixels into a screen that's only 15.4-inches across is a technological marvel, and once you use one, it's hard to go back to a non-Retina display.
  
• iCloud: I'm finding myself making increasing use of iCloud services, especially iMessage and FaceTime. That's what having an iPhone and an iPad does. They can be a gateway drug to other, more expensive things.
  
• The MacBook Pro offers what I want: Everything I want from a notebook is right there. It's small and light, has the hardware specification I want.
  
• OS X: Like it or hate it. OS X has a growing presence. I'm increasingly covering OS X related news, and the fixed nature of the Mac mini just isn't cutting it any more.
  
• Macs still run Windows: Macs can run Windows, and run the operating system very well as a matter of fact. There are some gaps in the coverage, but this is a portable system so I can work around them for now.
  
• My desktop system is still Windows: I'm not abandoning Windows. Even if I wanted to -- which I don't -- I couldn't.

My MacBook Pro lands in a few days -- I chose an upgraded processor which added a few days to the delivery time -- so I'll soon find out whether this was a good move, or a bad decision.

Source : zdnet