I will defer to your insider knowledge with Acurite as a beta tester/preferred customer. But as an acknowledged newbie in weather stations (I have been waiting for the Atlas before I buy anything), it looks to me like there is is a lot of overlap between the 5n1 pro's and the Atlas 7/8 series in capabilities and function ... especially now since they will both require the Access for uplinks. Since Acurite has refused to give us any substantive information about the Atlas for over a year now since their original announcement, please enlighten us about how the Atlas 7/8 is not a replacement for the 5n1 series. I don't mean this post to be a challenge to what you said. I would just like to learn so I can decide if the Atlas is still worth waiting for.
I hate making car analogies as they always ultimately fail, but in this case it might help.
If the 5n1 is a car, it's an economy box with little to no comfort features. If you slam the door it sounds a bit tinny. However, it is enough to get you from point A to B. It's priced to be affordable to most anyone, including those on a tight budget.
If the Atlas is a car, it is a luxury sedan. Lots of nice-to-have features standard. If you slam the door it would give you a nice satisfying "thunk" that tells you it is well-built. The optional lightning sensor module (i.e. the Atlas 8 ) is the optional "sport" package. It's priced higher, but not so high to be out-of-reach to the upper-middle class buyer.
If the Atlas Elite is a car, well... it isn't a car, but a big 4-wheel drive monster truck. Flames shoot out of the exhaust. The ground shakes. Women, children, and small animals flee in fear. Pricing? Get out your checkbook. Being "Elite" isn't cheap.
Now back to reality...
If the beta documentation holds true, the Atlas (specifically the outdoor sensor part) will have a 2-year warranty instead of the one-year warranty on the 5n1. Indoor components are still at one-year. I think this is Acurite's way of saying that this is a substantially sturdier build than they've put out before.
If you held a 5n1 in one hand, and the Atlas in another, the difference in build quality would be obvious. That Atlas is bigger, heavier, and looks like it could eat the 5n1 for lunch.
The same thing can be said for the console display. Most of the 5n1 displays are LCD models with a few being "HD". The Atlas display goes a bit further and adds touch-screen features on par with a quality tablet or smartphone.
I hope this helps give you a general feel for the difference.