I have a Macbook Air because they last much longer than PC laptops. I went through about 5 PCs in 10 years or so. Yes, Macs are pricey. My husband got one in 2005 because he was a computer doctor at the time and had to learn Mac OS and hardware. He still uses it every day. The durability is amazing, so when my last PC lasted exactly 1 year (and I hated it the whole time), I got this Macbook.
Malware (or lack thereof) has not been the selling point for me. I have not had to deal with malware, though, since converting, which was a constant struggle for me with PCs. I have always figured it's out there no matter what hardware and OS you have, but the odds are still smaller. I never had the illusion, though, that it couldn't happen. It's just a matter of some jerk making the time to design a virus.
I got a Kindle Fire last year for travel. It picked up a hijacker of some sort in the first week I had it. I wiped it and sent it back to Amazon and got an iPad. I am no techie and I am not beholden to Apple. In fact, I am not really a fan of how they operate in a lot of instances, but I am pretty happy with their hardware.