I respect your opinion on the other points, although I disagree. However the Apple Tax is a fact with "most" of Apple's products.And the 'Apple tax' thing is largely hyperbole.
The iPhone MUST be priced competitively as the market demands it and it's too easy to compare to other smartphones. Laptops on the other hand with their many configuration options are a different case.
I just bought two new, nearly identical laptops. A 15" MBP & 15" Lenovo. The Lenovo was $1,000 LESS than the Apple.
I say "nearly" because the ThinkPad has options that are not even available on the MBP like a full HD display, a true hi-res unit. 3G connectivity, a fingerprint reader and on and on. Therefore if anything, the Lenovo should have been more expensive, not less than the MBP
Apple misleads their customers by labeling their medium-res display: "hi-res".
Let's fact it, Apple is a graduate of the General Motors school of deceptive, greatly exaggerated advertising.
"It's Magical and Revolutionary"