By replying even once, he gave her a gift far greater than some filler quote the PR group could have given her about iPads in education.

A good reporter would have run with that -- new headline: "Apple's messaging focus comes from the very top" -- rather than whine about the right way for a CEO to communicate. (A 22-year-old college senior's 'enraged' opinion about the right tone for Jobs to take, or what his PR staff should prioritize, just isn't very interesting.)