Jason Snell’s review of the new MacBook Pro calls out the same thing we’re talking about here—that the low-end model is a completely different machine that’s similar to the MacBook Air.
John Gruber, responding to Jason’s article, says exactly the same thing at Daring Fireball.
They’re not bad MacBooks by any sense — but I genuinely wonder who they’re for. Most people who want a 13-inch MacBook should definitely get the new Air; those who want or need more performance should get the high-end MacBook Pro. I’m not sure who the people in the middle are, other than those who feel they should buy a MacBook with “Pro” in the name because that sounds better.