I have a MacBook Pro (my first Mac), use primarily for ASFN and school work for an online university. I love the quick boot time and have gotten used to the different quirks about it. I am not a gamer or programmer so I can't speak to those functions.
I use Word, Excel, Adobe, stream some videos (school related, and youtube) and it performs very well.
I did wish it had a dvd drive and an easier way to connect hardline ethernet (if that's correct term) rather than just wifi but since I can tether to my phone, it hasn't been an issue. Haven't needed the DVD drive either.
Don't know if I can answer if it's worth it to spend more on a Mac, a lot of people would tell you I'm crazy for spending more on a Mac. The thing for me is, I don't need to do all the wacky stuff some people claim you can do on a PC that you can't do on a Mac; I don't even understand what that nonsense is lol
I just needed a reliable machine, loved the fact that it boots up in seconds and since I had an iPhone and AppleTV, it made sense for me to look into purchasing one. Friends that have Macs love them so after trying it out, I took the plunge.
Edit: My wife and I also think doing anything with iTunes is very user friendly and my wife takes a lot of pictures, that was a factor as well.