I did a lot of research before I purchased this computer. I had been leaning towards a 17" Alienware, but after feeling how heavy that monster was, I opted for something a little lighter. My current laptop is a monster 17" Gateway FX edition, 8 years old, and shows no sign of slowing down, but computers are fickle, and I wanted to have a great computer on standby, rather than rush out and buy one out of necessity.
After deciding against the Alienware (I didn't realize most laptops these days don't come with CD/DVD-ROM drives, due to Steam and other services that allow downloads) I looked into MSi. The Apache Pro is a gorgeous machine, significantly lighter than the Alienware, and the specs can blow a Mac out of the water. The backlit keyboard is a must, the screen is perfectly crisp, and the actual construction is sturdy and solid.
However.
Everything went smoothly upon first boot, but I had a sinking feeling when the MSi dashboard came up to walk me through the registration and customization process. I was extremely disappointed to see misspellings ("Pervious" instead of "Previous"?) and the instructions read like a horrible translation from Chinese. Other messages in dialog boxes were butted up against borders.
This may seem like a nitpick, and it very well might be, BUT, if I'm spending nearly 2k on a laptop, I want EVERYTHING to be perfect. What sort of confidence does it instill in your consumer, if attention to detail in your software is neglected? One review I read prior to purchase advised against buying this version, because MSi rushed production to cash in on the holiday buying season. Unfortunately, I think that reviewer is right.
Another aspect that gave me an uneasy feeling was how feeble the disc drive felt. When popping it out, the tray sounds like it's going to shatter. Every single time. It wobbles with the touch of a finger, and honestly feels like an afterthought, in comparison to the rest of the body, which as I said, is sleek and sturdy.
I wanted to like this laptop. I wanted to LOVE it, I really did. But in the end, I returned it, and the reps at my local Best Buy made it painless.