These kind of 'freakouts' are just the information asymmetry between sellers and buyers being reduced. The buyers very reasonably assumed they all got the same price, and they're upset that this turned out to be false.

They're probably instinctively aware that, if they allow too much of this price discrimination to creep in, they'll be poor no matter how much money they make, as the prices they're charged will adjust accordingly.

As a Mac user, macs are not luxury devices. They are a little more expensive for a vastly (in my opinion) more coherent and Unix-y experience, in comparison to Windows machines. In reality I spent a few hundred more on a computer that I’ve used going on 5 years now, recouping the extra cost with a few more hours of freelance work.

If any software I use suddenly charged more for Mac than Windows, I would use a different product immediately.

How is more expensive for a better experience not a luxury product?

I'd equate it more to the difference between spending an extra $100 on a solid pair of boots which last 4x longer (cheaper over time) - we're not talking diamond-encrusted phones here

(That said, Apple are doing a great job of losing this value prop)

When I've bought Macs they've often been an older model - luxury-pricing-wise that's nothing next to an Alienware or Surface

A better experience here means just a little bit more bearable to use, not a luxury product experience.