Eh, I don't really have a strong opinion on the subject.

It's really all about who you're targeting. Intel is very open about their hardware plans because they sell to OEMs. Getting consumers excited about the next big product helps get OEMs excited. On the other hand, companies that sell to consumers, like Apple and Nokia, tend to be very quiet about what they're planning. To keep competitors from knowing acting on your future hardware plans. To help keep current stock selling instead of ending up with everybody waiting for the new hardware. To keep from having to throttle back on announced plans when things don't go quite as planned. To increase the "Wow!" factor when you do finally release the product. These things all factor in in some way or another.

Unfortunately the tight-lipped approach does leave those of us waiting suffering a bit more than we'd like, though the speculation and rumor-mongering does have its own appeal (this coming from a long-time veteran of the Apple rumor scene. . . . ).