Viral customer service. By answering one (or maybe a few to make sure it gets out) customers who have a general issue, he lets them take care of getting the word out, which is so leveraged nowadays it's very easy for them.

Jobs spends a few minutes crafting an email and the crowd takes it from there. A new form of disintermediation.

People should also be more tolerant of his changing his mind in a later email vs. an Official Company Policy.