Would a tricked-out (processor and RAM-wise...10th-generation i7 and 16GB RAM) MacBook Air at $1,449 hold its own against the two "straggler" Pros with the 8th-generation i5 and just the 8GB RAM they come with stock?). Because once you up their processor and RAM (8th-generation 1.7GHz i7 and 16GB RAM, the most you can take those two models to), the $1,299 is suddenly $1,699 and the $1,499 model is $1,899 ($400 added to each, to max out their processor and RAM options).
At
that point, a sane person (who knows how to count, and isn't on drugs) is just going to get the $1,799 model (with all the other benefits and upgrades it includes).
Or they'll opt for an Air with an i5 or i7 upgrade and the 16GB RAM, which would come in at $1,299 (i5) or $1,449 (i7).
The kind of person who'd be okay with a "pro" notebook at 8GB RAM and 256GB would surely be served by an upgraded Air. There must be that sliver scenario where a specific buyer doing specific things
must need that little bit extra kick from the lower-end 13" Pros, but are not going to lay out the extra $500 no matter what. And for the $1,299 or $1,499 they're paying for those lower-end Pros, their must be enough pure performance reasons they'd recognize/appreciate on a true daily basis to where those two models were attractive to them.
When you start playing with those numbers/specs, the $1,299 and $1,499 models only make sense in their stock, off-the-shelf configurations, because once you start to get cute with BTO upgrades, you're quickly smack-dab in $1,799-1,999ville. And if you leave them stock, then for less money you can get a fairly close Air with the maxed (current-generation) processor and RAM for under $1,500. They're models that don't seem to truly distinguish themselves enough in their stock configurations, but once you start tricking them out, you're better off just getting the $1,799 model.
They exist in that specific realm of "this is the ideal MacBook model for me...I'm a weirdo outlier, doing weirdo outlier things and Apple has magically read my mind at $1,299! I simply can't get it done with an Air, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna spend $1,800 on a laptop!".
How much real-world difference could we be talking here from a tricked-out Air to a stock $1,299/1,499 Pro, because that's the only comparison that really makes sense. The overlap is quite strong.
I guess they sell or they wouldn't be in the lineup. Just such odd duck models, regardless. Quack-quack...