Why the extreme Apple hate?

Inspired by this question, I am curious as to the extreme hate of this company by some Fluther users (and others out in the world, the phenomenon is not exclusive to this site). When I researched the sorts of companies that make these types of technologies, I found that Apple is not significantly worse in its business practices than others.
So why the hate? Why the claims that Steve Jobs “brainwashed” the masses?
The language used, the vehemence of the “arguments” (that are mostly emotionally evocative) all remind me of an historical precedent, but I can’t divine the agenda behind this particular focus.