From what I can tell, Mac pricing also takes into account a "pay more now, pay less later" approach. While the OS may only cost $100 to buy, that is not the legal license to use it; it's basically an "upgrade" license. Still cheaper than Windows "upgrade" packages. Apple branded hardware is the legal software license to use OSX, so they make you pay out the nose now so that you will be more likely to keep your old hardware but upgrade your software later on for the next few major OS releases. Better than buying a "Vista Capable" machine only to find out that it means "Runs Vista...Barely." Or, paying upwards of $200 for a retail copy. Yes, I realize you can get an OEM copy for less, but you can only install that on one NEW computer, and would the average consumer even know that this option exists? OSX doesn't have any DRM bull$hit, install it on as many Macs as you have that'll run it, and same for iWork and iLife, even though they sell "family packs" that officially allow you to install on up to five computers. You paid for the hardware already, they don't really care all that much if you bend the rules with the software as long as it's running on their hardware.
As for hardware upgrades, I have never known anyone with an average amount of technical knowledge (i.e. everyone who doesn't even know that sites like Tom's Hardware exists) to even consider upgrading components. At most, they'll consider having me install more RAM or a bigger hard drive. Forget the graphics card, they don't do anything that stresses it out anyway, old as it may be. They let these things get to be 4, 5, 6 years old without any substantial upgrades in-between, which basically means it's too late to upgrade almost anything. Might as well replace the whole system.
Sounds a lot like a Mac upgrade path to me. Plus, the family members who have switched to Mac have stopped bugging me for free tech support for the most part, because they can figure it out on their own or with a little help from Apple's website. Means more time that I can spend working on my Mac laptop or gaming on my dedicated PC desktop. (I haven't reformatted or defragged the HD in months (or reformatted ever, for tat matter, just re-installed), and, despite being 4 years old with an updated GFX card and RAM and extra storage drive, the boot drive is still a 5400RPM IDE drive. Boots to desktop, ready to go in less than a minute. Because all I do is game, no background apps, no start-up items, no anti-malware, no nothing, because it's rarely exposed to anything but the trusted websites of the online games I play, for updates.)
As for Blu-ray on a Mac, I couldn't care less. I wouldn't get a laptop with Blu-ray, Mac or otherwise. Uses too much extra power just for CD's / DVD's. Best to confine it to the ever-evolving gaming rig. It's like having an expensive German car that is dependable, well-built, and rewarding to drive without being too fussy about what you do with it, and having a Mazda MX-5 or something that you can mod and tune the crap out of for real performance on the weekends at the track or whatever; it's a fun car to drive, but you wouldn't want to use it for everyday tasks.