Apple Nutters

The New York Times has a lovely piece today discussing how anybody who writes anything negative about Apple gets deluged with hate mail. Too true. A while ago, I wrote a column for Bloomberg suggesting the iPhone was, to put it mildly, a bit over-hyped. It was a pretty good argunent. The iPhone is still, so far as I can see, an expensive niche product. It hasnt' t turned the mobile phone industry upside down. But I received - and still receive - dozens of mad e-mails. How can anyone get that passionate about a gadget company that makes computers and MP3's players is beyond me? I mean, if you are going to be passionate about something, couldn't it be something political, spiritual or artistic?. Add in the fact that the business is run by a man who is easily the most unpleasant individual I have ever met - Steve Jobs - and their devotion seems even sadder. Still, I feel sory for the NYT. They'll be getting abusive e-mail for months.