If you look at the monitor + stand its actually cheaper than competing pro monitors. I have no idea why they didn't just make the monitor more expensive and the stand cheaper and include vesa holes to avoid the years of jokes that followed that stand.
Was that dell monitor calibrated and rated for professional usage? I don't use this stuff but apparently most of the cost is making sure the screen perfectly replicates colors and not just being high resolution.
I use professional monitors in color critical environments and we've tested the apple monitor and it absolutely is not appropriate for professional usage despite their claims to the contrary. We're using Sony, Flan fees Scientific, and Dolby and the Apple isn't even close.
Jokes aside, it's very impressive.