There many good points to GW as well as bad ones. It can be practical to buy them as many places help you save, there is a store near me which gives you the cheaper box at half price if you buy two of uneven value, there are a lot of blisters for half price, etc.; Maelstrom gives good deals....
The models can look cool, they may get better now I've heard they lost one of the sculptors responsible for the Vampire Counts 7th ed fiasco (some boring minis, some ok but needing mods for reduction of stupidity, some just plain rubbish) and can be used for other things (ork vehicles should be reasonably easy to convert to Post Apocalypse) and many alternatives often have little real advantage other than quality (increased cost) cheapness (reduced quality) or just for the cred of saying you did without GW,
That said I am collecting 6th ed Vampire Counts (no I'm not updating the army book, sod off) with a lot of Zvezda minis I found at clearance prices, and every time I need a skeleton horse I buy a pack of them from Eureka, as they are really much better. Doesn't help with cost at all but is not nearly so ridiculous as the plastic ones that come with the kits.
Plus there is the fact that unless one of your online gaming acquaintances lives close enough or drops by it gets difficult to find players for anything other than CMGs, GW or Flames of War. I know there was a club that would do those near me but I can't find it. Even the more commercial games are mostly played on the other side of the city, so it difficult enough to get there. It makes me feel trapped but it's the only way I will get to play anything.
What I really don't understand is why so many are claiming this game is aimed at boys, early teen or even older children, how are these kids getting paid so much as to be able to play apocalypse? Doesn't really fit into any demographic, IMHO.

We are saying chironex that is these games' demographic, the 11 to 14 one, because the leadership of GW has out right said this is the target demographic.
Plain and simple chironex.
Worked at GW and heard this more than once from the folks in charge.

Funny, Matt, I heard the same thing about the creators and artists. Use 'em up and dump 'em.

Easy there rabidfox, I don't think he's a plant... just yet.

Nah...

The point is GW doesn't care HOW the kids get the money, only that the GET IT and then pass it over the sales counter. It's literally a drug dealer's ethics: Wanna play Apocalypse? Can't afford it? Hey, that's what second mortgages are for! And remember, if mommy and daddy don't fork it over right quick, they're TERRIBLE PARENTS and you should remind them of this every chance you get.

And before you even think it, the answer is YES, REALLY.