$250 just for 2x8gb DDR5 RAM. I'm not even sure you'd save much money on a DDR4 build, all parts considered.
Why wouldn't you choose unified memory if it matters to you ? A central point of Windows/linux is to get the hardware you want.
On money, being about the same price as a mac is good enough, given the machine will have vastly more versatility and expandability.
It won't resonate as much if you're straight into the "one size fits all" target of Apple machines. I used to have a macbook and an iPad, the iPad being the primary device, and it was an utter pain. Moving to a windows tablet cuts my costs in half while being able to do more things in total.
I don't wish an iPad on anyone, it's worse than basically any laptop.
That's par for the course yes. The AI bubble didn't help it was never priced at entry level either.
I got mine the first year it got out, and the laptop (a Z13 with 64gb RAM) was price aligned with the top of the line MBP pro with the same ram.