All companies do it. If they don't have an offering in a space, they deny the need for that space at all. If they have an upcoming offering for that space, they spread FUD about how the existing products are rubbish and you should wait for theirs (Microsoft are particularly good at this one).

People just don't use a sufficiently large pinch of salt. And note that I'm not only talking about Steve here. Microsoft fanbois are just as bad, it's just that we don't have many here (where the initial barrier to entry was buying a Linux-based car stereo).



I used to have a 10.1" laptop before the word netbook came about. That was just a laptop, too.