DMC, this isn't a thread about what you think of Apple.
I'm a long time computer user, I've been using computers since 1990 (the age of two) and I've used DOS 5.0, 6.0, Windows 95, 2000, NT, XP, Vista, 7, RISC OS, BBC Basic, Ubuntu, Fedora, Mandriva and OS X 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6 and 10.7.
It has nothing to do with 'looking cool'. It has everything to do with being able to work in a fluid environment that presents no barrier between what I'm requesting and what the OS is capable of doing. So often in a Windows environment there will be barriers between what I want to do and being able to do it. Driver support is a classic here - especially with Vista.
Apple present a combined OS/Hardware system that addresses these concerns by being deeply integrated. That genuinely does call for a better user experience. I've been using Macs since 2005 and can never see myself going back to using Windows for everything I do.
Incidentally, I don't have an iPhone - neither do I particularly want one. I am not bound by the same 'love' of Apple that would appear as an antithesis to your 'hate'. For some people it's a better solution. If you don't want to take your blinkers off, that's fine. I'll leave you to it.