"People enjoy things that I find substandard so they must be of lower intelligence."

I'll answer my own question: Users aren't stupid, they just have priorities that differ than those of technology bloggers.

Dismissing your users is an excellent way to ship a frustrating product. Apple has done the opposite, but the use-cases between the masses and the tech elite have drifted far enough that those who don't work on Apple's UX team can drive clicks using smug elitism -- the yin to the 'Apple Fanboy' yang.

so, instead of acknowledging my response in any way, you create a strawman, then answer your own question you made up?

why not just edit the grandparent post, rather than waste time with a response?

Try again: are you really mystified by mob mentality?

The question was more rhetorical, an extension of the implication raised in the article that I wholeheartedly disagree with. Assuming that users are 'stupid' en masse sidesteps questions of usability instead of analyzing what is users actual prefer in their UX.

"Mob mentality" is that assumption. Customers are more than capable of returning their devices to the carrier if they really dislike their devices. They can also sell them, and many do.

But many more do not. Apple's OS is not broken, this blogger just hasn't taken the time to research why people prefer something he doesn't.

that's a lot of words to say "yes, in fact, I am mystified by the dynamics of mobs".