The name "Pro" has nothing to do with whether or not the device can be used professionally. That's a meaning people have projected onto the name, but it was never meant to promise that (and it never could because professional use is so subjective). If you look at Apple's use of the word "Pro" in their past and current product lines, it has always simply meant "a bigger and better tier"--not a new product category. The Mac Pro doesn't do a whole new
category of tasks that the Mac Mini can't; it does the
same tasks--it just does it better and handles more, because of better hardware--but it runs the exact same OS, exact same UI, exact same input methods, and for the most part the exact same applications. The iPad Pro follows this same rule/pattern. It has better hardware (higher tier specs, better expandability with USB 3.0 and smart connector, and optionally a bigger screen)--but exactly the same as the rest of the iPad line in every other way. Although with Apple Pencil support, it does break the pattern in a good way, by adding functionality. But perhaps the Pencil is to come to the rest of the iPads as well. (As a sidenote, the existence of a "Pro" tier makes me think Apple has to continue making non-Pro iPads. It wouldn't be consistent with their other product lines otherwise.)
Likewise, nobody argues that the MacBook Air
can't be used professionally, because there's no "Pro" in the name. Point being, the names were never meant to tell you what they are supposed to or not supposed to be used for. They're meant to tell you how they stack up against the rest of the product line.
So since professional use is subjective, to some that means the iPad Pro finally crosses their threshold of adequate functionality for a work device. To some the original iPad already met their requirements. To others, the iPad Pro still doesn't and may never meet their requirements.
But to add to the confusion, Tim Cook has explicitly positioned the iPad Pro (at least the larger one) as a laptop replacement for "many" people. Again, to be clear he did
not say it's a professional device replacement, because not all people use their laptops for work. It simply means what it says: many people use their laptops for things they could do on an iPad Pro, and for them, the iPad Pro can replace their laptop. What he said is true, if not obvious.
So we can clamor for certain features to come to the iPad Pro (I know I do), but let's not think we were ever cheated or lied to. We were never promised anything with the "Pro" name except generally better specs, if you can even call it a promise.
Like I was saying above, not better for work per se, but simply better than regular iPads--and in trying to answer my version of your question, at first I thought you got me with the 2GB RAM. But looking at the MacBook Air 13" vs MacBook Pro 13" on Apple's website, turns out they both actually come with 8GB RAM, and the MBP can even come with 4GB. So the pattern still holds up, and if anything, we should be demanding Apple explain why the MBP starts with less RAM than the MBA.
