Well, re: Apple displays, yes, they go for a premium, which is why so many people end up buying Dells, Samsungs etc. In defence of Apple, it is my understanding that there are SOME advantages to the ACDs... truer colors being one... I could be wrong though (and is that alone worth the premium? Maybe only if you're a graphic designer or Photoshop user). In any case, personally I'll be looking for a Dell or Samsung.
Wrt. the MacBook vs PCs... it's far more complicated (and yes, it's an awful name). You mention the Compaq... the hp/compaq site seems to be down at the moment, so I can't compare, but in the past, whenever I've done this particular exercise, it transpires that the PC is lacking in some way (heavier, or bigger, or lacks optical, or any number of things), and if it is in fact comparable, then the premium for an Apple is about $300, which in the big scheme of things, considering you get OS X, I don't think of as a big deal, once I'm spending above $1K anyway.
The bigger cost of switching is all the software you have to buy, and that's just a sad reality. Especially when there is software that's great for the PC, but nonexistant for the Mac. And yes, Mac is still the red-headed stepchild when it comes to support for devices.
But I don't think Apple has a choice really. When you only have 3% - 5% marketshare, you don't have the pricing power for components and manufacturing that the PC industry has. In addition, Apple has to develop a platform, an operating system and a whole ecosystem - none of these additional costs exist for dell or hp or PCs in general. So, yes, Apple has fatter margins, but they must have them to finance the entire platform, and they can't go to thin margins because they can't make it up in volume at only 4% of the market. Bottom line, I understand why you're angry, but it really is not greed that's driving Apple (as compared to any other PC company), but market realities.
In the end you have to make a decision for yourself. Nobody says you must go with Apple rather than a PC. It really should depend entirely on your needs. And that'll be different for different folks. For some (f.ex. me

!) it is worth paying a premium just for aesthetic considerations - I'd find it actually painful to lug around a hideous hp/compaq, no matter how "light", someone else will think that a very shallow or stupid criterion. More importantly, I prefer OS X to XP. And finally, for what I do, I find myself being more productive on a Mac than on a PC - but that's not true for everyone... for film/video editing, well, I'm not going to go for top of the line Avid for a home solution. To me, FCP is a better fit - I'm not saying Vegas or something else is not equally good, but that's a bit individual... depends on how your brain works. So for editing, Mac is it for me. As to audio, well that's a toss-up. There are more choices for hardware when it comes to PCs, but that's not critical. Software is a mixed bag. Some audio apps are better (or only available) for PC, and some are better (or only available) for Mac. I think you can easily live on a Mac working in audio, but I'm not sure there is any advantage to Macs here. In which case, I'd look to my needs versus the investment.
If you are already invested heavily in PCs (hardware AND software), and for your work you don't need some killer feature available only for the Mac platform, I'd seriously consider staying with the PC platform. It really shouldn't be an emotional decision. By the time you set up your home editing or audio station, you will spend serious $$$ - that should be a cold, carefully calculated decision considering bang for the buck. Good luck with whatever decision you make!