>> Apple has been more than willing to extend warranties and repair issues once they're sure the problem is a defect.
The problem is that this can take a long time. So long, in fact, that it can be too late to get any benefit from these repair/warranty programs.
Some people who had the problematic 2011 Macbook Pro had already sold their laptops for parts at a loss before Apple finally acknowledged the issue (check out the huge thread on the support.apple.com forums).
I was lucky that I kept mine (it bricked itself a few months before the repair program was announced) because I had a feeling a replacement program might come out of the class action lawsuit related to the defect.
I ended up buying a new laptop when my 2011 Macbook Pro died because I wasn't going to fork out $500 for another defective logic board. I had already replaced it once while it was still under AppleCare, and it developed the same problems as the original within 6 months. Some people replaced their motherboards as many as 5 times with the same results.
>> Paying 4 grand for a laptop doesn't magically mean Apple is obligated in anyway to make you happy, costs be damned.
They don't have to make you happy "costs be damned", but they should be obligated to at least fix a product that is defective.
No-one said 'costs be damned'; no-one suggested that Apple should spend the cost of the laptop or more on warranty repair. The costs mentioned are less than 10% of your stated price.
And without 'costs be damned', your final line does not work - if you sell a product for a premium price, you do have an obligation to make your customers happy.
I heavily dislike the whole "how dare someone have expectations of the companies they do business with" thing. It's not like the transaction ends after purchase and the only noble thing to do is take what comes and keep my mouth shut.
When I buy a premium product, I expect premium support and service. Apple's money situation is relevant because they are choosing to not cover this issue despite having the resources to address it. If they were a struggling company, I could understand the reluctance to address the issue. But this seems short-sighted.
Besides, Apple should be grateful that people are making a stink online, giving them a chance to address the problem honorably before it goes to the courts via a lemon law.
Apple has been more than willing to extend warranties and repair issues once they're sure the problem is a defect.
Until they're sure, it's not "nickel and diming". It's charging people for a service.
Paying 4 grand for a laptop doesn't magically mean Apple is obligated in anyway to make you happy, costs be damned.