There are no 'premium' materials, they are just materials and everything else is marketing. Thinkpads have a simple matte plastic exterior but they are tough as tanks and are spill-proof. Dell computers are also quite robust and long lasting, I have used many. People are led to think that Apples have no (or fewer) problems, not sure where they get this from apart from shills and marketing departments. They have had phones that don't work because you hold them wrong, screens that flake off (MBP) because you wipe them wrong, or close the lid wrong, hard drives that failed because for appearances they never made any ventilation holes (old macbooks). And guaranteed if it's a workmanship fault of Apple's you'll get 12-18 months of denial and silence before ever so quietly they replace faulty products no questions asked, no questions answered.
The reason MBP's survive nowadays is people paid SO MUCH for them they treat them like crystal-ware. The reason Dell is cheaper because their profit margin is smaller. Simple as that.
As for ripped of, well you could say I regret buying my MBP - which I do. I was told the hard drive would more than make up for lack of upgrades of the processor or RAM, which is not the case. How do you measure that anyway without owning it first?