It was very harmful because some folks made the $200 jump from MB to MBP 13". That's a somewhat expensive jump but at least there was some value proposition to jump. That also works much better because the value propostion went up also. You got more RAM, better CPU , lighted keyboard, FW socket , more HDDs when you did pay that "extra" $200. "Pay more get more". That's generally OK.
Even if Apple lowers the price of the MBA 13" into the MBP 13" price slots you are getting
less for the same amount of money . Less RAM, worse CPU, worse GPU, no FW socket , 100's of GS less of storage space. .... all for the same amount of money. Does that seem like a good bargain to you? "Pay same get less". That is generally not OK. ( The MBP 13" actually weighed less than the MB so there was no size/wieght increase. )
While the 15" is "get more , pay more" it is also get more size and weight to carry also. Maybe that is why the 15" might be put on a diet, but that doesn't solve the size addition.
For the folks stuck with a $999 budget pretty much had/have no choice. They'd take just about any Mac laptop at that price point. That only has leverage at the extreme end of a line up. Those folks have no choice.
The MBP 13" is not at the extreme end of the entire product line up. Apple won't go broke but they are going to drive off a fairly large (and growing ) group here with this move.
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