I'm not sure why you think it's at Apples great expense as any costs are just passed on to the consumer
I makes perfect sense to many on a tight budget or any sort of budget else Apple or any other OEM would not give options on certain upgrades they could of simply put 1TB SSD in all MBP after all what's a few bucks more etc
Similarly with such a great port and given that the MBP is a 85% normal consumer device 2xUSB-C/TB3 and 2x USB-C would be more than ample for most but may of been cheaper and at the tipping point for some buyers.
This could also been true for those that cant afford the 256GB but a 128GB with a internal SD slot would of been a nice option for some
Good cables and reliable dongles are not cheap for some. There are plenty that buy the IPhone this month and the case with next months pay check and so on ..........
The entry point of this gen of MBP was significantly higher than previous which upset many. It may of been justified by spec but not buy options offered for the less heeled
It's not emotional but simple finances for most