This bit is missing from the story
"This morning, at a San Francisco press event The Reg wasn't invited to..."
Cade opened up the other Apple article today with this, and I think it's worth adding as this kind of thing is affecting El Reg's coverage at the moment.
I used to write for Mac mags and I never found Apple easy to deal with (although I wouldn't say it was the worst, it wasn't too far off), so I do have sympathy.
However, I remember the days when El Reg proudly declared that it had banned from Apple press events in the UK because the company didn't like its reporting.
For my money, El Reg's Apple anyalsis was tough but fair (and more honest that the dedicated Mac press) - but far too tough for Apple and Steve Jobs, if books like 'Infinite Loop' are anything to go by.
Sadly, the standard of El Reg's Apple reporting has slipped badly since then. I'm not talking about it being now critical - El Reg has always been that - but that a lot of its reporting are basically just opinion pieces.
Today, lines like "This morning, at a San Francisco press event The Reg wasn't invited to..." no longer feel like a banner of honour, but like the scream of a petulant child that will only be silenced when Apple gives in.
One article that sticks in the mind (I'm not sure if Cade wrote it), was about the writer not being satisifed when their Mac broke and didn't get preferential treatment because they're a journalist - if you write about Apple, you know you don't get that since Steve came back, and to think you will/might get it... well, it's you with the reality distortion field, not just Steve.
Another story about faulty goods was the one by the UK person who had problem with a MacBook, although she did have some legitimate problems, there serious errors in the article - such as the writer suggesting that Apple do a product recall because of the power adapter. Unfortunately, that type of power adapter had not been shipped by Apple for over six month... but if that had been reflected, she would have had to come up with different concluding lines. I'm sure that someone checked that story, but obviously no one who could edit it for accuracy.
I'm not one for Yank-bashing, but I believe this change in the quality of El Reg's reporting about Apple matters had sprung from the American writers - I'm not saying it's because of their nationality, just their reluctance to churn out a decent article. There are far too many self-indulgant so-so pieces, short on decent analysis, but long on half-smart-assed opinion.
Maybe El Reg is intending these articles should provoke responses - after all, the pro-Apple will be angry, the anti-Apple will be delighted.
That doesn't change the fact that the quality of El Reg's reporting has plummeted and - most tragically, of all - the writers often come across as arrogant as Apple.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
