Some contemporaries rub their eyes in amazement when they see the prices for used clamshell iBooks, which still fetch up to 300 euros in the maximum configuration. I'm always tempted to answer with a counter question: Why is a beautiful classic VW Beetle convertible so much more expensive than a newer VW Golf?
The clamshell iBook not only looks iconic, but also has marathon runner qualities. Like the VW, the clamshell iBook runs and runs and runs, while the faster successor models in the fast lane are left behind after a few years. Today, before buying a new model, it is advisable to at least wait for the second revision, which irons out the worst mistakes. The new MacBook and MacBook Pro series are so highly tuned (and correspondingly hot) that their lifespan is foreseeable.
Appledefects.com provides information about common production errors.
Without the additional purchase of the expensive Apple Care Protection warranty extension, you really shouldn't let anyone out of the store. Those who are smart sell their portable Mac after the warranty has expired for fear of having to reckon with an expensive total write-off.
The alternative would actually be to manufacture products that simply work. That was already possible.