Apple has been promoting the Macbook Pro as a Professional laptop, hence the nomenclature.
When a company is regarded as the leader in the photography and design industry, an industry that has used OS X for the longest time, we, the professionals should AT LEAST expect them to follow through on their claims.
IPS is a standard in the industry. NO photographer/designer worth his salt uses anything other than IPS. It's a fact. Which is why we assume the "Pro" laptops we are using should have it. I mean, even e-IPS is better than nothing...
I know what you will say now. They have Cinema Displays and iMacs.. well that's not good enough. In the field, I NEED to know that I am getting the best shot out there. When you are shooting with cameras capable of capturing a dozen stops of dynamic range, you need a monitor that can handle it, and that monitor needs IPS.
This is a kick in the nuts to all working photographers, graphic designers and to a certain extent, filmmakers...