I don't think it's about price really. People pay $700 for all sorts of high quality kitchen appliances. But all that was good about the machine was offset by t

I don't think it's about price really. People pay $700 for all sorts of high quality kitchen appliances. But all that was good about the machine was offset by the lock-in, stupid pre-pulped juice packs, DRM, always-on internet, and other user-hostile stuff. You're right that people may have been able to stomach all that 1984 stuff if the price was low.