I think this is a glimpse in the future. They've done it before - with the MBA, with the ditching of optical drives, then hard drives... even with the iPhone and ditching the keyboard.
Each time, it's a big compromise, and people are (rightfully) upset, because the rest of the industry isn't ready and Apple doesn't care (I'm not talking about competitors, but peripherals and accessories). They force it, taking the risk to upset their user base.
And it (usually) ends up working. For Apple as a company, and for the whole electronics industry. After a few years, the landscape has changed and most have followed their footsteps.
Sometimes it doesn't work (Thunderbolt is still very much an Apple thing and will die an Apple thing). But most of the times, it does, even if it's painful at first.
That's how they are leading.
In a few weeks, we'll see the first USB-C accessories. In a few months, a lot of them. In a few years, USB-C will be the main technology. It's past time we moved beyond the classic USB. It's unfortunate it takes one company to have the balls to do it alone.
So yeah, the first couple of years, the rMB will feel like an alien, and people who actually need peripherals will have to pass on it, or suffer. I still think it'll ultimately be a good thing.
