Reading this New High-Water Mark in iPhone Jackassery on Daring Fireball made me realize something about the iPhone that I hadn't considered before.
Yesterday I watched The Art of the Start on Google Video. One of the points was to not be afraid of polarizing people.
When you create a product or service that some people love, don’t be surprised when others hate you. Your goal is to catalyze passion—pro or anti. Don’t be offended if people take issue with what you’ve done; the only result that should offend (and scare) you is lack of interest.
The iPhone touch screen is exactly that: polarizing. Some people love it because of its simplicity and beauty. Others hate it because you won't be able to type without looking at the screen (and perhaps it will be difficult even when looking).
The "Jackass" in question in the Daring Fireball article claims that Apple will be a target of class-action suits when some teen crashes his car while texting. He probably doesn't believe such a suit would ever get filed – at least one that doesn't get thrown out by the judge – but that it's something dramatic to say to illustrate why he hates the touch-screen concept. Or maybe he doesn't hate it but knows that such an opinion will get him some airtime.