If not there were cheaper alternatives if you wanted a keyboard….oh wait.
it’s not the Apple tax, is people wanting the best hance purchasing the MK.
You can hide yourself into the “but the seamless integration” or “” the extra usb iI might gain”, reality is, there are very few good options (Logitech might be one) but many people prefere to get Apple.
No one is forcing you to, but it’s not s tax, it’s what you are willing to spend.
I have an 11 with mob, never saw it as a laptop, never will, it’s a great device capable of doing most of the laptop things, but a lot more stuff the laptop cannot to.
Slapping a Keyboard into an iPad is not pretending it’s a laptop, iot’ giving some laptop functions (as typing), but if you want a laptop get a laptop.