Actually i'd say the opposite way round mate. 1080p only really shows on most screens at close viewing. for example, at anything over say 10ft away you'd hardly see any difference between 720p and 1080p on a 42" screen. But get closer and you CAN see the difference.
I'd imagine that laptops are being fitted with 1080p screens because people watch HD content on them, and only from a couple of feet away.
I do agree its a little pendantic, but these sales of technology do prey on the uneducated i'm afraid.
It's simply akin to the purple shirted pc store charging double that a local pc shop might, because the majority of uneducated pc users buy there, and are easily duped.