So watch that and tell me again why you think the difference ‘isn’t measurable’
Don’t get stuck on the Pro monitor, real Professionals simply buy more memory because they know they need it and they should be able to afford it. Apple offers the 8gb models for regular folk with light computing needs who like a nicer machine, be it called Air or Pro.
If anything, you are the one who really needs to prove why he feels the need to defend the indefensible commercial choices of an extremely rich company.
At best you are like a weirdo using short in 5°C winter and telling everyone it is fine and do not understand why everyone is telling him he is crazy and that must be uncomfortable. At worst you are the used car salesman minimizing every single problem the car he is selling to keep the price high.
In any case, your behavior is not normal nor commendable, you shouldn't be the one requesting better behavior from other people...
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Which is the problem in a nutshell. No one knows what it means.
The parent worked as a dev for a year with the machine and was happy with it. I am also a dev, and am still on a M1 8gb Air that I got in early 2021, and I'm very happy with it. Probably the best laptop I've ever had the pleasure to work on.
For my workload, I don't think the difference between a 8gb and 16gb machine would be measurable. Some people really would prefer the $200.