Thread about an experience with Alienware very similar to yours.
http://www.str8dog.com/articles/182.aspx
It does really suck that you had that much trouble but every computer manufacturer out there has had and will have these line issues from time to time.
No one is immune to it.
Your experience, undeniably frustrating for you was really more of an exception than the rule.
But it is still a valid experience.
I just get the feeling that you perceive all Macs to be the same and that this kind of thing does not happen to PC's which it does.
As far as software "can be made" to work on a Mac you should remember that excell, photoshop, illustrator are just several examples of software that was originally only available on Macs and was "made" to work on PC's.
In fact I actually applaud MSFT as I feel their current Office suite works better on the Mac than it does under Windows, except for Powerpoint which is just the biggest piece of junk on any platform.
If IBM had not provided the catalyst in the form of 2 critical business decisions, licensing DOS from MSFT instead of buying it outright and using off the shelf components instead of proprietary hardware in their first PC then I have no doubt the computer landscape would look very different today and Bill Gates might very well not be the richest dude around.
Someone shot this poor thread, it deserves to be put out of it's misery.