I run 4 AMD systems at home that never crash, I also run work based AMD servers that are up for weeks at a time with no problem. If your friends systems are crashing it probably has nothing to do with there CPU's

I also run p4 based systems 800mhz FSB the AMD at same speed benchmark much faster for what i use them for.

Run p4 if you like, I run them myself there a nice processor for certain things. But to say AMD processors are unreliable or have no power behind them is an opinion born from ignorance.

David.