I also remember watching Earthian about the same time (I think on the same weekend), which was a bit of a trip for white bread me.

As for the poll, I've only seen Appleseed, GitS, and Dominion in some form, so don't really want to vote not knowing the others.

And as for the Major, she has more personality in the magna, and in a different form in the Stand Alone Complex animes, don't know if anyone has seen those. Not much, but she at least gets an expression and cracks a joke sometimes.

Fair warning if you haven't, and if you like cute robots like the tachikomas, the ending of the second series will make you cry.

Also, don't know if anyone knows, but there is a prequel anime series for GitS coming out now, called Ghost in the Shell: Arise. Only four parts, and I know at least two are out now. The first two were interesting, IMHO.