but you will agree that - for a mobile cpu - power consumption and therefore battery life is an important aspect of the equation?

Is it though? A "Pro" laptop has, by the very name, an implication of performance.

I don't know many professionals in any industry that are constrained so heavily by power - generally when you're doing professional work, you're not far from an outlet, save some rare use cases like on-location shoots for film and television.

Absolutely, that's one of the reasons I may buy a first generation Apple product.