This is based on my beliefs that it is easier to get a stable system with Intel components than with AMD ones.
I for one rather pay more, if it has a chance of easing my problems.
I have to also say that it depends on what you do on your PC. If you are a hard core gamer then AMD is the way to go. If you do more business applications then you should shoot for an Intel. Also if you want cheaper then AMD is also the winner. As far as quality goes I am not one to judge. I have less problems with my Athlon XP but it's only 3 months old. With all the Intels that I have had in the past I had to switch to Intel.
I prefer AMD. All the machines that I have built in the past 1.5 years have been AMD machines and I hav had zero problems with any of them. It is very amusing to see a similarly configured P4 get whooped by a slower clock speed and a slower bus speed. I built an athlon 700 and it runs much better than my P4 2 Ghz at work. Definetly not faster but you can tell the difference and that most of my friends agree that they would much rather use the athlon.