Now with the new 2014 Mac Mini that now has from a non-replaceable RAM this movement by Apple has to stop! It starting to look like Apple is trying to sell to the masses that never open their Mac ever.
On the other hand, Apple brought their BTO RAM prices in line with sanity when they made this switch, perhaps because they knew people wouldn't tolerate their shenanigans anymore. Gotta agree with Satcomer, though. None of Apple's current offerings really appeal to me, partly because of the un-upgradeability. My 2009 MBP has 8GB of RAM, a 1TB HD and 240GB SSD. I can't get something this functional now for less than twice the price. It's a bad time to buy a Mac. Which sucks for me, because the battery and trackpad in mine are going out.
I'm tending towards believing that Apple isn't doing this because they are evil or greedy. One of the biggest reasons that Apple sees Macs in for repair is because third party RAM failed; due either to it being zapped by static during installation (most users don't bother to purchase and use an anti-static band for use during installation) or because the third party RAM wasn't seated properly during installation. These failures aren't Apple's fault, but they cost Apple money to repair under warranty, and more importantly, they make it look like Macs aren't entirely reliable. When Apple supplies all of your RAM OEM and solders it in, they know that the installation has been done right, and that it will stay right. One other thing. You will notice that Macs are getting thinner and thinner. Even iMacs. Soldering in the RAM allows Apple to forego using a socket. That, combined with using low profile RAM, saves a decent amount of space. This is also the reason that Apple doesn't offer an installation door for battery replacement on laptops anymore. It makes battery replacement harder, but it allows their laptops to be thinner.
Definitely true about the thinness. It kind of bugs me, because there's no reason for iMacs or Minis to get thinner and thinner. Heck, I've had my MacBook Pro for 5 years and never once thought "damn Mac, you thick". On the other hand, I see new models with no replaceable RAM, no replaceable battery, and no ethernet port, and I do indeed think "it's too damn thin!" But I know I'm in the minority there. People in my office have even started complaining that the Airs are too big and heavy. I just can't understand it.