Excuse me? Unlike the MacBook Air it has a retina display and Thunderbolt 3 ports. Seems like this conclusion was written first, then a narrative was written to fit it. Or the writer of the headline was not the writer of the article, and just made something up.
More broadly (this article and beyond) all the dongle complaining is going to sound pretty backwards in the context of today + 2 years.
For me and many others, it's about pushing the MBP towards more portability at the cost of power.
Laptop manufacturers traditionally have had two lines: a desktop replacement and an ultraportable one. Prior to the Retina MacBook: it was the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Thinkpads had the X-series and T-series.
Now, Apple has released a MacBook Pro that's not quite the total desktop replacement while requiring us to carry a bunch of adapters. I've mentioned this in another thread, but had Apple just called this recent release an update on the MacBook, most people would probably have been enthralled. Yay! More USB-C ports, a laptop you could type on your lap, and more processing power!
For all of us criticizing the new release, it's not because we don't care for portability or USB-C, but because Apple has hindered the user experience for existing Pro customers. Dongles and adapters are mental lines item that a professional should not have to be concerned with. We want a laptop that can handle it all and we just want Cook et al. to make the MacBook Pro again.
Mostly I agree, except they're not sacrificing a lot of power compared to competitors, with the exception of not using certain power hungry components (GPU, RAM). Apple is clearly moving, as you have noted, to ALL portable computers prioritizing portability over raw power. This is something I agree with, and something others don't, but it's not a "disappointment" as fact so much as a difference in philosophy.
As a professional GIS user and engineering drawing reviewer I theoretically should have opted for a more powerful laptop to replace my work machine this fall, but instead went with the smallest, lightest machine my company was able to provide that still met my day to day usage needs. I travel a lot and portability was high priority. For me, Apple is on the right side on the portability/power curve.
You're right, it's a difference in philosophy (and was emphasized in today's Job's email post[0]). Everyone brings a different set of needs to a laptop, and for you, it's worked out alright.
However, I do feel they've left a lot of professional users out in the cold as they try to capture more of the consumer market. How this affects their brand and goodwill remains to be seen; especially when people are already paying top dollar.
Writing about smart watches today will look weird in two years, same with just about any industry... So what? The conclusion has been coming for many years... it has all come to a giant head.
More broadly (this article and beyond) all the dongle complaining is going to sound pretty backwards in the context of today + 2 years.