Macs are not overpriced. This is a common misconception. When you buy a Windows based PC for half the price for similar spec, you are buying a machine that is built from an entirely different mindset. Apple's customer service, for one, is top notch. Everything from the box the Mac comes in, to the build quality of the machine itself, is outstanding. It might sound like fanboy preaching, but only the experience of buying one can prove that to you. They put so much care into the smallest detail. They build the machines to last for years, and to be productive for years. I may have paid $3,000 dollars for my iMac, but I'll be using it, quite efficiently, for at least the next 5 years or more, without a need for upgrading. When you buy a 1,000 dollar Windows PC, there's no guarantee it will be able to run the next OS from MS. Just look at say, XP to Vista for example (I know it's a bad one, but it's just an example.) When Lion comes out, my iMac will not struggle in the slightest. When the next 2 or 3 or 4 versions of OS X come out, I am certain it will run them fine. There is no buying a program, and worrying on the way home if it will work with my drivers/hardware. None. And if there is a problem, it's addressed by Apple immediately.
What I am trying to say is, at face value, Macs may seem to only offer "flashiness" for the money. It's so much more. Should my Mac have a problem tomorrow, whether it's a 20 dollar fix for them, or a 2,000 dollar fix, I can rest assured for the next 4 years, I won't have to worry about it. (unless I do something stupid to cause it). They do anything they can. If it can't be fixed, it's replaced. If it's fixed and breaks again, they bend over backwards to get it right. You will not walk in or call in to Apple for help, or warranty work, and get a snotty attitude or half done work.
You pay for so much more than the machine when you buy them. That's what the cost is from. Not from "flashy looks". It's not the same as a Windows based PC. They may both use intel processors, WD HDD's or whatever, but they are nowhere near the same, on any level (honestly.). That's not to bash Windows based PC's, they are built with an ENTIRELY different mindset. Different doesn't mean better or worse.