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 2880x1800 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

• iCloudp: 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, and 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 that added a few days to the delivery time--so I'll soon find out whether this was a good move or a bad decision.