The hoaxer who claimed he had gutted a Power Mac G5 to build a Windows-based machine reflects on the amazing response that followed the publication of his story:

"Mac users are nuttier than a fruitcake," Andy said. "People have an unnatural emotional attachment to object(s) like computers. For some, their reaction was akin to me butchering their parents or a beloved pet."

There's no excuse for the hate mail, but the strong emotional response to this story is interesting. Is this more evidence for the theory that Mac users are part of a "brand community," or is that theory itself just an attempt to explain what's often been called "The Cult of Mac"?

Many writers and analysts who cover Apple fail to understand the emotional attachment between Mac users and their machines. Those who do "get" it tend to be Mac users themselves.

They -- I should say "we" -- have a different problem: the constant struggle to remain objective when writing about Apple and its products. It's easy for coverage of Apple's products and strategies to cross the line from "I think Apple is doing smart things" to "I think Apple can do no wrong." There's also the "reality distortion field" factor to consider. Steve Jobs really is a master salesman.

(By the way, I think tech writers and analysts who don't "get" Apple have an equally dangerous bias: it's tempting to dismiss every Apple product and strategy out of hand as irrelevant, a niche product, doomed to failure, etc.)

As a full-time Mac user, I'm aware of this problem, and I'm really trying to be objective as I write about Apple and its impact.

If you notice me wandering into mindless boosterism territory, please use the e-mail or the comments to let me know. Thanks to everyone who has commented on past items, and I look forward to hearing from more of you.