Some press have reported that the string of bad PR, such as the Chinese sweatshop iPod City claims, quality control issues, MacBook Pro battery problems and French DRM legislation, has resulted in an anti-Apple backlash from consumers. But a columnist from Wired thinks the Hate Apple movement is more hype than real. "In fact, there's no consumer backlash at all," Kahney says. "Apple's firing on all cylinders and is selling more Macs and iPods than ever."

Sales figures indicating Mac sales up by 20 percent year-over-year and iPods sales surging to a 200 percent increase is Kahney's proof the backlash is a media move by reporters just looking for more to write about it - good or bad. Kahney also says Apple's strategy of using secrecy and invitation-only product announcements doesn't always works for the company. "The downside of this oversized press profile is that bad news also gets overplayed," he says.