I certainly understand companies exist to make money. The bean counters know how much feature X costs, and when it's not profitable, they'll get rid of it. And, while I do dispute the idea that only 1% of users care about being able to swap batteries, I do realize it's a minority position, and not many people are going to change teams just because of it.

I think Bitt's sports sedan analogy above is apt. Apple makes great laptops that people pay a premium for above similarly-equipped PCs. And, as I said before, the Pro line is for power users who want the best Apple laptops available. The Macbook line, on the other hand, was developed to create a lower price tier with compromises like lower-res screens, slower CPUs, and fewer ports.

If Apple had let the integrated battery feature trickle up into the Macbook line, but kept the MBP removable battery design, the effect on their bottom line would be negligible, and the end user would have a choice.