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Well, lots of times the devices deserve to be the yardstick. Sometimes not. I'd say the iPhone/iPod touch does deserve it. I'd say the Kindle does, too, really. Both changed the nature of the game and turned a niche into a more mainstream product. If you're entering these markets - THESE are the products you have to be able to compete against. It's like someone releasing a MMORPG - if you can't beat Warcraft, then you're screwed. Which isn't to say Warcraft is better, etc etc... just that it pulls together the right traits to be a success in general.
Whatever one's opinion might be, the Kindle is sitting in a very different position than most other ebook readers. The other ebook readers are still niche products - working with rather small selections (ignoring public domain as everyone has that), high prices for their products, and a lack of public awareness of even their existence. This includes the Sony Reader. We can argue all day about tech specifications, or even the morality of the various stores but at the end of the day most ebook readers (in the US, at least) might as well be a fancy Nokia phone - nice products, cool design, maybe even superior to the iphone - but no one has them, there isn't much in the way of apps (books), and they're way too pricey.
We're here in e-reader fandom... we love our devices, love to talk about them, toy around with them, are intimately aware of the limitations and abilities of various devices. But we're not everyone. We're not even most people. I think the Pogue review is (mostly) pretty legitimate in the 'average consumer' sector sort of way. And we have to keep that in mind. If it was aimed at us he'd be doing a huge disservice, but he's not.
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