I wouldn't call it an "Apple PR centre". Most of the Apple related submissions recently are of critical nature (e.g. antenna issues, restrictions of the iPhone

I wouldn't call it an "Apple PR centre". Most of the Apple related submissions recently are of critical nature (e.g. antenna issues, restrictions of the iPhone SDK). I agree, sometimes the Apple related share of stories on the front page is overwhelming, but you should also consider how many startups/developers depend on things happening around Apple. For me it's not about getting the Apple news from HN, but following the (high level) discussions about them.