I currently own a Macbook Pro 17" (2.1GHz) that I bought new from Apple in 2006. It is, as they say in the 'hood, "the shizznit". Period. It's the best computer I've ever owned or worked on, with the possible exception of the big Mac Desktop beasts (which although MUCH faster and easier to expand, are not portable, and therefore, not as well-suited to my applications).
I also own one of the older MacBook Pro 15" (I think it's a 2.1GHz too), which my stepdaughter is using. She is in art school, and uses it for serious PhotoShop work, web-page design, and in her "fiber arts" classes to design dress-making patterns and art for silk-screening. She's been using it for about 2 years, with no problems whatsoever.
My MacBook pro had a problem with it's battery about 3 months ago, but I just called the local Apple store and went in and they swapped it out, free of charge, because it was a known defect, and would have been fully covered even if I DIDN'T have the extended warranty.
One of the coolest physical design features of the MacBook Pro laptops is their magnetic connector on the power adapter. Believe me, that simple feature has probably saved me THOUSANDS of dollars over the last 3 years on repairs. With cats, kids, and a few slightly klutzy family members, we've had to have some VERY pricey repairs on the few non-Mac laptops we own, due to the power jacks getting wrenched from the motherboard. It's design features like this that make the Mac such a GREAT piece of equipment--it's not all just gee-whiz, status symbol coolness--the fundamental design philosophy behind the Mac is long-term usability, extended life-cycle, and ease of use overall. The fundamental design principle behind ALL Wintel-based machines is planned obsolescence...
Apple has always treated me wonderfully. Their user support is fantastic, their warranty service is fast and no-questions-asked, and their out-of-warranty repair services are quick, reasonably priced, and top-quality. If you're seriously considering changing platforms, ESPECIALLY if you are in photography, graphic design, web design, or ANY sort of multimedia field, or sound or video processing, ther eis simply no logical argument against a Mac. Even the "cost" of replacing your software is evened out in the long-run by increased hardware reliability, significantly reduced down-time, and the fact that Macs are virtually unaffected (or more precisely, untargeted) by viruses, trojans, and other internet-borne digital contagions.
I've been using, supporting, designign networks for, and consulting on both platforms (Mac and Windows) for 20 years, and I can say without hesitation that the ONLY reason to get a PC in the corporate world is to "fit in" with executive types who don't know anything about computers. I've produced countless white papers over the years to prove to IT managers, and other execs that Macs are, in the long-run several orders of magnitude more cost-effective than PCs, in almost ALL applications, from image manipulation to word-processing, from accounting to large enterprise servers. The only place where Macs don't really trump PCs on all counts is in industrial control apps, and that is simply because few industrial control software companies write Mac software...
If you're thinking about a Mac, then you're already on the right path. There is NO reason not to get one.
Believe me. You'll thank us in the long-run...
--Richard