Have the component parts gone up in price? I would think the component prices (SSD, GPU, etc.) have gone down or stayed the same in price over the years. Has Apple identified a new demographic they can exploit? Or perhaps, the top of line 15" MacBook have taken a huge jump in performance?
For a long time, you could get a decent performing entry level MacBook for $1200, but now that decent entry level has crept up a couple of hundred dollars. And you could get "last year's model" for under $1200.
For a long time, a top of the line 15" MacBook would cost around $2,500, or if you max'd it out completely it would be just under $3,000. Now, it's over $4,000! Some configurations of the Mac Pro cost less the new MacBook!
For a long time, you could get a decent performing entry level MacBook for $1200, but now that decent entry level has crept up a couple of hundred dollars. And you could get "last year's model" for under $1200.
For a long time, a top of the line 15" MacBook would cost around $2,500, or if you max'd it out completely it would be just under $3,000. Now, it's over $4,000! Some configurations of the Mac Pro cost less the new MacBook!