I've always seen his reactions to Apple products as being dispassionate and bored. He doesn't seem easily impressed by anything, and yet he's always accused of being a rabid Apple fanboy.
When Steve Jobs referred to him as a "good friend" and blew a lid internally when Mossberg wasn't "writing good things" about MobileMe, you can see where the perception comes from.
Perhaps unfairly. It showed a willingness to be critical regardless of relationships. I've never understood why instances like this are considered exceptions proving a rule.