The author laid out a pretty clear bias from the beginning and followed through to the end to let the reader know that "graphical froufrou is bad". While he's certainly entitled to his opinion, he really only represents a small subsection of users. On the whole, I would've liked a more open-minded analysis rather than "text is good, images are bad".

He compared more than just images. Although, the post should have been a comparison of MobileMe and GMail.

I do agree with the conclusion:

The media-appropriate approach of Google shows that the interface is not a matter of graphic design, it’s a matter of how it works. With all the glitz Apple brings to the Web in an attempt to win a beauty contest, they lose the true contest: the beauty of usability. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give your Web app a manicure.