My only caveat is that the improvements to cpu/gpu typically result in lower power consumption requirements. The screen is also lower resolution (compared to 4

My only caveat is that the improvements to cpu/gpu typically result in lower power consumption requirements. The screen is also lower resolution (compared to 4k) and with brightness user-configurable, not sure how much it is to blame. I think the bulk of the issue is the almost 25% smaller battery (as noted in the article). So the real trade off is thinness and weight for battery life, not performance for battery life which is more typical of competing laptops. I don't think the new MBPs are bad machines, but I probably won't be upgrading my current one to one of the new ones. But sales figures seem to indicate the thinness trade off appealed to a broader range of buyers...so ultimately it was probably the right business decision for Apple.