"For the largest company on the planet and soon to be the most profitable in the history of the world, this letter shows courage and proves to skeptics that Apple is not too big to admit mistakes, nor forgetful of who made Apple the most valuable Company in the first place," White said.

Others, including Rick, did not see any "courage" in the step, but simply a smart PR move.

"[Apple's] public apologies accomplish what they need to: damage control," asserted Rick. "Whether it's an open letter, an email to a blogger, or a news conference, Cupertino knows how to contain a crisis. Of course, given the company's Teflon touch, what works for Apple will not work for everyone."

Dany Gaspar, director of digital strategy at Levick, a Washington, D.C. firm that helps companies deal with public relations emergencies, also viewed Cook's letter more pragmatically than White.

"An open letter from a company's CEO is typically an effective method of dealing with a PR mistake initially, but the actual letter needs to include specific steps that the company is making to solve the issue and not be general," said Gaspar in an email today.