Fortune Magazine has decided to call the 2000s “the decade of Steve” for his role with Apple, Inc. As they mention, he has overcome being forced to leave his own company, returning back for a salary of $1, a securities-law scandal, two close calls with death, and his “own often unpleasant demeanor” to earn himself the title of CEO of the Decade.

In the last ten years, Apple has stretched out into the areas of media and cell phones. But they didn’t just enter these markets; they changed them. I don’t need to remind you of the huge success the iPod continues to have, and with over 100,000 applications available in the iPhone App Store, it seems obvious their venture into the cell phone market has proven a success, too.

It’s often noted that he’s a showman, a born salesman, a magician who creates a famed reality-distortion field, a tyrannical perfectionist. It’s totally accurate, of course, and the descriptions contribute to his legend.
Fortune Magazine.

In 2000, Apple was worth $5 billion. Not a small number by any means, but just ten years later Apple is now worth around $170 billion, putting themselves just ahead of Internet giant, Google. Thanks to being debt-free, Apple has around $31 billion in cash and investments, which is the highest amount for any technology company.

So, in ten years, Apple has gone from a relatively small computer company—with no Apple Stores, iPod, iTunes, Mac OS X or iPhone—to being a technology leader with a range of great products, while being the most valuable company in Silicon Valley. I think, looking back, it’s no wonder Steve Jobs is Fortune’s “CEO of the Decade.”

Via [AppleInsider]

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The CEO we all know and love, Steve Jobs, has made his way up on the Forbes richest Americans list this year. Considering that Mr. Jobs makes a slim $1 salary at Apple, it may seem strange to see him at number 43 on the list of the top 400. However, you must remember that he has plenty of money in stock and benefits through Apple—enough to value him at $5.1 billion (which is a $600 million decline from a previous year). Coming in at 43rd this year has put Steve at a higher place than he was ever before, with the closest being a 49 in 2007.

It is also interesting to note that Bill Gates is still at number one on the list for the 16th year in a row with a worth of approximately $50 billion. That’s a really big number. All competition and fanboyism (yes, I just made that up) aside, it is great to see two of the most influential figures in tech rank so highly on this list. It just goes to show what a little hard work and innovation can do for your life. And it is even more inspiring to see that people such as Bill Gates are managing to donate millions upon millions of dollars to charity.

Congratulations, men.

Via [MacRumors]

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As usual, many people wanted to interview Steve Jobs after yesterday’s press event to ask him the questions on the top of every Apple fanboy’s mind. This time around, David Pogue’s interview offered some interesting answers to some pretty good questions about Apple and where the company is going.

For instance, Mr. Jobs replied with, “No, I don’t think we’re going to miss a beat. We have some really good stuff coming up,” when asked, “Will there be a break in new products as a result of your absence?” Furthermore, he mentioned that he doesn’t see a need in the market for single function devices like the Kindle (and mentioned how Amazon isn’t overly eager to share their sales numbers with us). These two comments clearly show Apple will continue to innovate the way they always have, and may not be looking to expand into markets such as the tablet anytime soon.

Other interesting things mentioned in the question and answer session involve the hardware announced today. Jobs explained that the iPod nano won’t take stills because the sensors required for this are much too thick to fit in a nano. Furthermore, he mentioned that Apple decided to leave a camera out of the iPod touch because they want to market it as more of a gaming device, as that’s how the market sees it. And last, but not least, Steve mentioned he feels “really good” and is eating a lot of ice cream.

Via [NY Times]

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The lights had only just dimmed as the most exciting part of the press conference happened; Steve Jobs walked onto the stage to huge cheers and applause, looking fit and healthy. Wearing his trademark black turtleneck top and jeans, he expressed his gratitude towards the team at Apple and everyone’s continued support during his health leave.

He also mentioned that his liver was donated by an unfortunate 20-year old who died as a result of a car crash. I’m not quite sure what effect that statement had to the rest of the media, but I feel it wasn’t the most important part of his time off. He also hoped we could all become organ donors, as without them, he may not have been here today.

Great news for Apple, and a great announcement to come from this event. Now, let’s see what else Apple unveils, and don’t forget to follow the live blog.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

According to the Wall Street Journal, “people familiar with the situation” have said that the 54-year-old Steve Jobs has been spending much of his time working with the new touch screen gadget device that Apple is cooking up. Furthermore, one person working on the product’s advertising and marketing strategy said that they are under intense scrutiny from Steve Jobs himself. While rumors of the “iPad” have been heating up recently, some stories have been published saying the rumors are simply rumors and the product doesn’t exist. There is evidence both ways, and it will be extremely interesting to see if Apple has any news about this in their September event.

While I personally don’t think Apple will make any announcements of this device at their upcoming music and iPod event, I do believe we will see it one day. The market for a tablet is somewhat small at this point, but Apple has always done well by first introducing an overpriced product to a niche market. From there, the product explodes into the general consumer base. We’ll see if this rumored product becomes as popular as the iPhone.

Via [Wall Steet Journal]

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You’ve been waiting, and now you have to wait just a little longer…maybe. The guys over at AllThingsD say Apple is…well, here, read…

Multiple music industry sources say Apple executives have told them the company is planning one of its famed keynote events for the week of Sept. 7.

Honestly, this isn’t that big of a surprise.  Heck, it’s almost tradition for Apple to tease us with rumors all summer and then hold a special event after Labor Day.  Last year it was the updated iPod nano, and the year before that they announced the iPod touch (shortly after most of us bought the original iPhone).

So what will they have to say? I wouldn’t be surprised to see updated iPods. I’m thinking it’s likely we’ll see both a new iPod touch and iPod nano, both with cameras. But that’s not really what you want me to say is it? I know what I want to hear, and it goes a little something like this…

One more thing.

The Apple tablet. We all want it. I’d say it’s highly possible for Apple to announce the mythical tablet, but as always, there’s much disagreement among rumors. Some think it might happen, and some sources deny it tooth and nail until at least 2010. We’ll see, it’s less than a month away. Stay tuned.

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Steve Jobs was spotted on the Apple campus this week with who appears to be Jonathan Ives at his side. The apparent Apple fan who witnessed this whipped out his Apple iPhone and took a picture of the Apple CEO while on the Apple campus. Sounds like an awesome visit to the Apple HQ to me. That said, Steve does looks like he is doing well although he is a little bit on the skinny side.

Steve, who’s rumored to appear at next year’s CES, has just recently returned to the campus after taking a six month leave in order to recover from a reported liver transplant. It’s good to see our favorite CEO and visionary back at work, although I hope he is taking it easy with all of his health issues.

Via [TMZ]

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The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple may be making a comeback to a technology convention held in January. No, not Macworld (which will be held in February in 2010), but instead, the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES. Macworld ‘09 was Apple’s last, leaving investors, consumers, reporters and bloggers alike wondering if Apple was permanently abandoning communicating information through the convention platform. CEA (the group that puts on CES) is looking to rebound from a 20% decrease in attendance at CES 2009 compared to the previous year. Its chief executive Gary Shapirio may have a trick up his sleeve to help the show out.

At a dinner with journalists this week in San Francisco, CEA’s Shapiro was asked whether he’s invited Jobs, who recently returned from medical leave, to keynote the show. Yes, Jobs has been asked, but nobody from Apple has gotten back to him, Shapiro said.

(I’ll pause as Apple fanboys collectively gasp.)

Should this hold true, a frailer-than-before Jobs will make his return to the keynote stage for the first time since 2008, barring any appearances in the remainder of 2009.  Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer and Intel’s Paul Otellini have already said they will conduct keynote presentations at CES, but if rumors turn into reality, Jobs will be there to steal the show.

However, gdgt’s Ryan Block, in retort to the WSJ report, has stated:

At no point did Gary even remotely imply that Apple would be present at a future CES—let alone state flatly that Apple “will be there” in 2010. In fact, at one point, someone asked if, hypothetically, Apple did want to attend CES, whether the CEA could accommodate them. Gary said flatly that if pressed, they might be able to come up with a small 2,000 square foot booth, but they couldn’t do anything, say, Microsoft-sized on such short notice.

Do you think Jobs will make a return to the keynote stage, or are Steve’s keynote days behind him?

Read [Engadget]

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Yes that’s right, that Apple tablet you and I have been waiting on the past four years will have to wait just a little longer.  If AppleInsider’s source is good (and I’m told he or she is) we can all expect an early 2010 delivery of the tablet of our dreams (or so we’ve been hoping).

Apparently, Steve Jobs has been the major hold up with the realization of this device.  That’s both a good thing and a bad thing.  Bad because there are far too many people who wanted to buy this mythical device years ago already, and a good thing because you know Steve only approves the best of the best.  I wouldn’t expect Jobs to allow any but the most amazing tablet device out of the door at Apple, especially with such a long running rumor surrounding said device.

And it seems that Steve is finally happy.  I like it when Steve’s happy, because when Steve’s happy, we’re all happy…with the possible exception of your wallet.  Though the rumored price point is somewhere between a 32GB iPhone and a low end MacBook.  I’m personally guessing around $600 or $700.  I wouldn’t expect the full specs on this thing to be available or even accurate, but you can expect something with a 10 inch screen and supposedly 3G data.  Think of a device that looks like a super sized iPod touch (like the artist’s rendition above).  And I also wouldn’t be surprised to find not an Intel processor, but one of those in-house designed chips we talked about a while back.

Personally, I believe most of this rumor.  Apple would be insane to never release a product that so many consumers want blindly.  I sincerely hope they don’t choose to require a 3G data plan with this device.  There are rumors circulating that it would be offered only through Verizon, effectively requiring many Apple users to have monthly plans with both AT&T and Verizon.  Bad, bad, bad, idea.  How about we just keep it as a regular tablet-like device and we can just find WiFi for it, or buy our own 3G data plans to use with it if we choose.  That’s a better idea.  Only time will tell, but I’m getting sick of waiting.  How about you?

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In a rambling, largely off-topic article, The LA Times reported this morning that Apple, Inc. co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs is spending a few days a week back in his office, according to Apple spokesman Steve Dowling. “He’s currently at work a few days a week and working from home the remaining days,” Dowling said. So…Steve’s keeping my schedule, which is cool. I wonder if his dog sleeps against his desk and if Steve has to deal with cheerleading practice going on down the street.

This news comes just a week after the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in Memphis, Tennessee confirmed that Jobs had received a liver transplant. Obviously, it’s good news to Apple fanboys and Apple shareholders that Steve’s back on the job. But it’s better news to Steve and his family, and it’s great to see that he was able to return a few weeks sooner than expected.

Read [LA Times (but only if you want more conjecture on why Apple products are too expensive and unnecessary)] Via Cleveland Plain Dealer]

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In just three days, from Friday to Sunday, Apple is reporting that over one million iPhone 3G Ss have been sold. Not only is that outstanding for a hardware update that offers only two real benefits (camera and improved processor/RAM), it is outstanding in that it sold many more than the Palm Pre on its opening weekend. The iPhone hardware update beat out the first run of the Palm Pre. Sure, the iPhone has had more time in the market, but the Pre was supposed to be highly anticipated. It doesn’t seem as if that it true anymore.

Apple has also announced that there have been over six million downloads of their iPhone OS 3.0 software since its release, as well. For under a week, that is quite a high number, and I’m sure Apple’s servers are feeling a little bit under the weather. What does Steve Jobs have to say about all of this? Although not fully back at work yet, Steve was quoted as saying, “Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning. With over 50,000 applications available from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever.”

Via [Ars Technica]

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There were reports a while back that Steve Jobs was “healthy and energetic,” but more recent news from the Wall Street Journal is even better. According to them, Steve Jobs “... received a liver transplant in Tennessee about two months ago ...” and is expected to make his return later this month as initially declared by Apple. However, they do point out that it may only be part time, at first.

The best news in this story is that Steve Jobs’ health has somewhat recovered from what it was. I hope his time off was relaxing and helpful to both him and his family, as it is never good to see someone go through the issues he has had to face. I’ll be glad to see him back at Apple…although there aren’t any keynotes coming up at which we will be able to see him speak.

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When Steve Jobs first took his medical leave a few months ago, Apple shares dropped as the Internet went crazy with the story. However, these past couple months have been relatively quiet about it, partially due to respect for him and his families’ privacy. As Steve Jobs will be back soon, so is the news about him. Business Insider is reminding us that Apple’s stock is up 64% from when Jobs took his leave to around the $140 it was at the time that he left.

Even despite the economy and his absence, Apple is still doing fine.  Many people may have felt that Steve was vital to Apple and that it would be impossible for them to continue with as much success without him.  However, I think this six month leave was good for both the fans and the company.  It showed that Apple can be just as successful without Steve while also allowing him to come back (soon) and see how it does with him again.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

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Steve Jobs will not be returning to Apple for a while still, yet some new quotes from Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, have given insight into the state of his health. According to The Wall Street Journal, Woz was quoted as saying that Jobs “... doesn’t sound like he’s sick ...” but rather sounds “... healthy, energetic.”  Although he wasn’t directly asked about Jobs’ health, this may be all he would have said anyway. If Woz noticed such a revival, hopefully we can hope that Steve Jobs still has enough in him to work full time at Apple again.

Early this year, Steve Jobs took a health leave from his position at Apple, and w haven’t heard how that’s turned out him. Apple has been relatively quiet about the whole situation these past couple months. Perhaps this is in respect of Steve Jobs, or perhaps they are trying to show they can function fine without him. Either way, I’m glad to hear this report from Woz that Steve is in good health again. It’s good news for Apple, and it’s good news for Jobs’ family.

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A hacker by the name of orin0co has contacted some of the people over at Cult of Mac claiming that he has gained access to Steve Jobs’ Amazon account. This information, which the hacker is attempting to sell to the media, includes a history of over 20,000 purchases in the last ten years.

In his e-mails with this journalist, the hacker claims, “I got myself a hold of this information. No one else has it. I didn’t misuse it, otherwise Mr. Jobs would long ago change his login detail, wouldn’t he? Imagine how safe Mac is if you can trick the mighty Steve Jobs.”

For this hacker to be making this claim is somewhat intriguing. For one, going after Steve Jobs and Apple seems like a pretty risky move. Second, there is almost no proof whatsoever that this hacker actually figured this out. He has given out screen shots, but those can very easily be faked in almost any photo editing application. Amazon has spoken saying that this, being a result of a phishing scam, is highly unlikely because of the methods they have put forward for their users to stop these scams. Apple isn’t talking as usual, but I personally am not believing this one.

Via [Cult of Mac]

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The latest press release from Apple has outlined a few details about what we’ll be seeing at this years World Wide Developers Conference. The event will begin with the usual keynote from Apple, with Phil Schiller on stage at the normal time of 10 a.m. PDT on June 8. He will give a preview of the latest developments on Mac OS X Snow Leopard. The final version for developers will be unveiled, too, which leads us to believe its official release isn’t too far around the corner.

We’ll also see the public release of iPhone OS 3.0, and there will be a lot of information for developers concerning the 1,000 new APIs available. I’ve personally been excited about OS 3.0 since it’s first mention—it will likely be the most useful update to my iPhone so far.

Even though iPhone OS 3.0 will appear, there are two more things we’d like to see. I am referring to the next generation iPhone, and, of course, Steve Jobs. Jobs has been on medical leave since January, with his return scheduled for next month. I very much doubt he didn’t want to appear at the keynote, to be leading from the front again, so questions appear as to why Phil Schiller is standing in. Is Jobs still not feeling his best? Does he still need more time away from Apple? I feel that if he spends even more time away, people will begin to move forward without him. Yes, he’ll play a big part in decisions at Apple for as long as he can, but they won’t keep him on medical leave for ever.

Or, maybe Steve Jobs is feeling alright, and is prepared for his return. Maybe there’s something planned around the event. Nothing cheesy though, that’s certainly not Apple’s nature. No sneaking on to the stage, or randomly appearing around the event. I think we’ll see Steve Jobs on stage at some point during the keynote.

Where would be the ideal section for his return then? I’d place my bet near the end. Have a listen to this:

Phil Schiller, with the help of some Apple executives, has gone through Snow Leopard, iPhone OS 3.0 and explained what’s coming next as regards to the event. But then, more often than not, there’s a final section to the keynote; a part more famously known as “One More Thing…” How great would it be for Phil to introduce none other than Steve Jobs to present the next generation of iPhone, to go along with the new and improved Jobs leading from the front again? That would be brilliant, and would re-assure many.

Maybe I’m completely wrong; we don’t know. Either way, if you weren’t able to get your ticket for this years WWDC, make sure you’re back here for the live blog and in-depth coverage of the keynote announcements and more.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

This week, it’s all about the iPod shuffle. Well, not all about the shuffle, but hey, it’s the biggest news this week. We also have a suggestion for you on an old game to pick up. Then, there’s the free stuff. We’re giving away another Podium iPhone stand, an Xbox 360, and some iPhone 3G cases. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to us in iTunes so that you can have the Appletellcast downloaded automatically every week.

Here are the links to relevant stories for this week’s Appletellcast.

• Apple grasps at gimmicky straws for the new iPod shuffle, improves little by Adam Fisher-Cox.
• iPod shuffle 3G: A suggestion for Apple by Aaron Kraus.
• New iPod Shuffle controls; bad for users, great for headphone manufacturers by Kirk Hiner.
• iTunes 8.1 released by Kirk Hiner.
• iPhone OS 3.0 on the way by Ed Parry.
• @JakeGaecke - Just in case you’d want to enter the Podium iPhone stand giveaway for a chance to win a Podium stand for free!

If you subscribe to the Podcast, the new episode will be automatically delivered to your iTunes account. If you’re not subscribed and can’t see it in iTunes, you can instead download Appletellcast directly.

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When Apple announced their smorgasbord of product refreshes last week, the first thing I did was order a Mac mini. Okay, that’s just a reflex, but after that was taken care of, I started to think; something is different, and I don’t like it. I’m fairly certain the source of my mild dissatisfaction with the recent announcements stemmed from the absence of that Steve Jobs touch.

Tuesday, March 2nd, just wasn’t as much fun as it could or should have been. I woke up to the Apple Store being down, and I saw a bunch of new products. I ordered a new machine, and called it a day. I know I’m not the only one who thought it was a little weird that Apple refreshed at least 7 products without having a special event. Steve Jobs would have made a day of it. Sure, I bought a Mac mini anyway, but that had been decided months ago. What happened to inviting the press? What happened to the anticipation? What happened to Apple making me feel as though I need all of their new products regardless of whether I actually do. I never got that feeling of “Oh I need that and I’m not sure why.”

No, instead, Apple decided to confuse us all. They quietly refreshed a ridiculous number of their products without any sort of announcement other than a typed-up press release. And then, to make matters worse, have you seen the store pages for the iMacs, Mac Minis or Mac Pros? They’re confusing. There are four base configurations of iMacs. What!? Four? Why? I thought Apple was all about simplicity. How about two? One for each screen size. Then, just have us build to order upgrades.

And the Mac mini. Apparently, for $200, the only upgrades you receive are an extra 200GB of HDD space and an extra GB of RAM. Well, that’s not completely true, but you really have to search to find out that the higher end model has an extra 128MB of graphics memory. I still think it’s a bit overpriced. Can’t you knock an extra $100 off of it, Apple?

I have to say though, it seems Steve had his hand in on this at least a little bit. Did you notice the new keyboard that comes default with new iMacs? Fewer buttons buttons, a sure sign of Jobs.

I’m certain these are all great products, but that’s because I trust Apple, not because they’ve done a great job of explaining what is so much better about all of this. Let this be a lesson, Apple. Stick with what works. Send out invitations to the press and tell us all why we need to empty our accounts at the Apple Store. We’d really appreciate that.

I can’t wait for Steve to come back…though my wallet probably can.

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After the updates Apple released to their desktop lines on Tuesday, it left many people wondering what happened to the Mac mini. Sure, it’s got a faster processor and better graphics capability, but it still looks the same as it did back in July 2007. It has to be said, a few quiet updates with no notification wasn’t quite what we were expecting.

When I first read about the possibilities of updates arriving on Tuesday, I didn’t think it was likely. I felt Apple would hold their own event closer to the end of the month, send out invites the week before, as usual, and release a brand new Mac mini, and the updates to the iMac and Mac Pro. Instead, we get a closed Apple Store for a few hours, and “New” stickers on the desktops. Now, of course, the changes they’ve made wouldn’t warranty an event. But we’ve been waiting quite some time for Apple to completely overhaul the Mac mini. Make it a little smaller, similar to, say, the Apple TV—maybe made completely of aluminum, with a glowing Apple logo on the top. That’s what could have come about from an event held in a few weeks time.

So, it leaves the question, is there more to come from Apple in regards to the Mac Mini? Was this just a little push out of small updates to keep things moving? Or, are they holding back on a redesign until, say, Steve Jobs is back? You have to admit, a keynote where Steve Jobs is back, and presents a brand new Mac Mini and new iPhone models (all likely) in June this year. That would be a great way to welcome him back, and would do wonders for their stock. To be reassured these products were produced while Jobs was on medical leave, meant other people were capable of taking the wheel.

Maybe at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June this year, something similar to that will happen. Or maybe it’ll be Summer 2010 before we see another new Mac Mini. I sincerely hope it’s not the latter.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

“Visionary” is a word that gets thrown around a lot, especially in the tech world. Anyone who suggest anything different from the status quo is hailed as one, and if they’re wrong, well, who remembers?

But Greg Sandoval of Cnet stumbled across an interview that Steve Jobs gave to Rolling Stone in 2003, outlining his vision for the then-new iTunes music store. Steve lays out his “vision” on how the online music business will play out with his customary confidence and startling clarity, and it turns out he was pretty much on the money.

Jobs on whether the iPod could become more important to Apple than the Mac.
Apple has a core set of talents, and those talents are: we do, I think, very good hardware design; we do very good industrial design; and we write very good system and application software. And we’re really good at packaging that all together into a product.

We’re the only people left in the computer industry (who) do that. And we’re really the only people in the consumer electronics industry (who) go deep in software in consumer products. So those talents can be used to make personal computers, and they can also be used to make things like iPods.

On major music labels
When the Internet came along, and Napster came along, they didn’t know what to make of it. A lot of these folks didn’t use computers—weren’t on e-mail; didn’t really know what Napster was for a few years. They were pretty doggone slow to react. Matter of fact, they still haven’t really reacted, in many ways.

On iTunes
We’ve created this music store, which I think is nontrivial to copy. I mean, to say that Microsoft can just decide to copy it, and copy it in six months—that’s a big statement. It may not be so easy.

Steve goes on to predict that technological solutions (that is, DRM) to piracy would fail, and that subscription-based music programs would be far less popular than buying tracks. If anything, Jobs is far too humble (and how often do you hear that?) about the success of the ITMS, predicting that Apple would “one day” sell a billion songs a year—and in the last six months they’ve gone from five to six billion.

If you don’t want to read the whole article, Sandoval has a brilliant summary. This is why Steve Jobs is called a visionary, and why everyone is freaked about his health.

Read [Cnet] and [Rolling Stone] Via [Daring Fireball]

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It’s the fun new game for the whole family! Write a story about Steve Jobs’ imminent, unpreventable demise and post it to the internet. MacJournals shows you how!

1. Imagine some horrible or painful medical condition, preferably one with a reasonably high mortality rate. If your imagination fails you, pick an organ and say that it’s failing.
2. Call up a doctor or two and ask them if, given the publicly available information about Steve Jobs’s health, they could categorically rule out the condition you have imagined.

Too complicated? Don’t have a phone? No problem! They’ve even got a Mad Libs-style fill-in-the-blank form for you to use!

Read [MacJournals] Via Daring Fireball.

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Who better to analyze Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ leave of absence than the Steve Wozniak? While appearing on CNBC, he did just that. And in the process of doing so, Woz also gave some insight as to how Apple plans and makes its products.

Last week Steve “The Woz” Wozniak made it pretty clear how he felt about the media and their coverage of Jobs’ health. “I disagree with the press getting into his private life. Let him communicate the way he wants to communicate to the public… . Leave him alone,” Wozniak said. I almost completely agree. Jobs led Apple to greatness by helping to make some of the most amazing and innovative products. I’m pretty sure he can figure out how to deal with his own health.

Sure, Apple investors are worried about his health and the success of a non-Jobs Apple. But Woz makes some good points when he appeared on CNBC.

In the video, Woz states Apple products are in development for one to two years before being released.  DId you read that?  One year more than covers the six months Jobs is taking off, so quit worrying about it. Jobs is often credited as being the source of some of the most key ideas involved, but he’s certainly not the only one.  And more than that, Jobs is the kind of guy who will take his leave and come back with even more great ideas.  Maybe this time next year we’ll be talking about Apple products that are even more remarkable than we would have thought.

In any event, how about we all cut Steve Jobs a little slack? The man needs a break from all of the stress, and some of the media hasn’t been helping with all of the prying and speculation.  How about we just wish him well?  I’ll start.

Steve, have a great leave of absence; you deserve it. I’m sincerely sorry if we’ve ever caused you any unneeded stress. I hope you break through all of this health business, and come through more awesome than before.  So get well soon, and just kick back and relax for the next few months.

Via [MacBlogz]

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Earlier today, Silicon Alley Insider ran a report that Newsweek’s Dan Lyons—aka “Fake Steve Jobs”—has been banned from CNBC for life because of an appearance he made on the network earlier today in which he got into a heated discussion with CNBC’s Jim Goldman over Steve Jobs’ health and how Apple handled the announcement. Silicon Alley Insider then posted an updated saying that CNBC claims they have not banned Lyons. Then they posted an update saying a source close to the situation believes Lyons has been banned. Check the video, and draw your own conclusions.

I say the two of them should just meet out at the willow tree after school and settle this like men.

The two apparently have been taking different sides on Apple’s disclosures on Steve’s health for quite some time, and it came to head a couple weeks ago when Gizmodo ran a report from a “source” (Lyons) who stated that Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ health is declining rapidly. Goldman rebutted pretty harshly, defending Apple and basically calling the report garbage.

And now, we’ve got the video above. It doesn’t really seem to be that big of deal. Certainly not Rosie O’Donnell heated, and it’s nothing compared the fight Appletell writer Bill Stiteler and I had in San Francisco last week over Star Wars and George Carlin, but I guess we don’t get paid enough to actually get banned from something. Regardless, it’s always a good time watching the pros flex their muscles. Has Lyons actually been banned from CNBC because of this? I guess we’ll find out soon enough, and I’ll probably care even less then than I do now.

Via [Silicon Alley Insider]

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Connie Guglielmo, Rochelle Garner and Jason Gale reported for Bloomberg this morning that Apple CEO Steve Job may need to have his pancreas removed, if Robert Thomas, head of surgery at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, is correct. Thomas was the first to perform the Whipple operation—which involves removing parts of the pancreas, bile duct and small intestine, and which sometimes results in having to remove the entire pancreas. Jobs underwent a procedure similar to the Whipple operation after he was diagnosed with a rare type of pancreatic cancer in 2004. It should be noted, though, that Thomas is not Jobs’ doctor, and doesn’t know the details of his condition.

If Jobs does have his pancreas removed, he will be “... at risk for severe diabetes,” stated Thomas.

The article goes on to discuss Apple’s plummeting stock shares, which fell $3.75, or 4.4 percent, to $81.58 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading at 9:34 a.m. New York time, after dropping as low as $80.05. Blooomberg is reporting that Apple isn’t handling the situation well at all, and haven’t been for quite some time.

“What they have done is the extraordinary accomplishment of coming out with a press release that is more opaque than the last one,” said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, associate dean of the Yale University School of Management. “They have now surrendered their credibility.”

The fact that Jobs hasn’t been seen in public since October is leading some to believe he or Apple has purposely misled investors about the severity of his condition. John Coffee, a securities law professor at Columbia Law School in New York, states that if share price drops dramatically, Apple shareholders may sue.

Still, there are some who believe that Apple and Jobs made last week’s disclosure in good faith:

“Mr. Jobs has an unusual and complicated medical condition,” Grundfest said. “When conditions are complicated, physicians have difficulty making clear decisions.”

Still, the pressure now is on Apple’s board to provide more information on the events leading up to Jobs’s decision to take leave, said James Post, a professor of management at Boston University.

“Has Steve Jobs and Apple’s board played fair with investors? There are a lot of unhappy and dissatisfied investors who are going to say the answer is no,” Post said. “The board members may not really answer the question of what did they know and when did they know it until there’s a discovery process in a lawsuit.”

Via [Bloomberg.com]

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First off, let me say I wish Steve Jobs and his family good health. I never like to write pieces about someone who is not at the top of their game due to a health issue. Get well, Steve, we will miss you.

Now then, on to what the next six months, maybe more, have in store for Apple. Tim Cook seems to be more than qualified to run the day to day operations of a major technology company. When I say day to day operations, I don’t see that as product design, nor when and where to release a product. To me, day to day operations icnludes going over call stats in the call center, reading surveys on the company, talking with other executive management on how many dollars go where…that kind of thing. Items that happen every day.

Steve will still be running the show from afar when it comes to product design approvals, R&D dollars spent, product releases, and so forth. I am of the opinion that Steve should take some time off and not worry about Apple for a while; just spend time with his family. I know if I was concerned enough about my health that I could not go to work everyday, I would want to spend as much time as possible with my family, because whatever is wrong with my health would be pretty serious. I think Steve should step aside completely and give Tim Cook a chance to run with the ball. In six months, if Cook fails, Steve can return to right the ship.

Turning 54 on February 24th, Steve has been one of the most successful businessmen in history. He took something that he and Mr. Wozinak built in a garage and turned it into a multi billion dollar juggernaut called Apple. When I am 54, I will be eyeing retirement, and we all know Steve has enough money to retire. Heck, I doubt anyone in his family needs to work for a couple of generations. I say let Tim take the company for a test drive, and if he is not successful, Steve can come back to find another replacement, not to run the company.

Steve has done things with his company that have changed handheld electronics time and time again. Let’s let him ride off into the sunset.

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Appletell Readers:

I’m sure you’ve all read about Steve’s latest announcement. I’m also sure you have your own opinions about the matter. How could you not? I’d like to share mine with you now.

In Steve’s most recent letter, he stated “... during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.”  I don’t mean to be nit picky, but is it more complex than Steve thought, or more complex than his doctors thought? Jobs has a long history of waiting on health issues. He waited for 9 months to receive any treatment (or make announcements for that matter) the last time around, according to CNN. So, if Jobs is being consistent, then this must be serious enough.

Yet, I still don’t think that Jobs is dying. I think he’s much more responsible than that, and he intends to come back in June. I can’t speak for the whole Apple community, but I trust Jobs. I may not agree with him on everything, but I trust the man to tell me how it is (when he eventually decides to tell, at least). And if Jobs says he’s coming back in June, then I believe him.

But what will the next 5+ months be like? Will it be any different? Will Jobs take a pay cut down to $.50 for 2009? I’m doubting that much will change, though I will point out a few things. It’s widely rumored that Apple will be releasing one (or likely more) products before the end of June. If these rumors are to be believed, and I think it’s reasonable to expect at least one new product in that time frame, then someone else has to announce it, perhaps Tim Cook. I can’t wait for some new Apple products, but you know, I’ll still be missing the “booms.”

I really don’t think there is anything to worry about as far as Apple in concerned in the next five months. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.  Apple is more than Steve Jobs. There are tons of great people working to bring us the products we love from Apple. That’s not going to change overnight, and I’m doubting five months will change much either. And even still, Jobs isn’t going to be fully out of the picture. He still intends to be a part of all major business decisions. So, let’s look forward to July when Steve comes back to Apple. He likely won’t have to save the day, but he will be welcomed back.

Steve, I look forward to seeing you this summer.

Jake Gaecke

PS. I want to know what you think about this whole situation. Is this terrible for Apple? Is Tim Cook going to do a good job? Will product announcements be the same? Let me know in the comments.

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Tim Cook, who will be filling in for Steve Jobs for Apple’s day to day operations over the next six months, is a veteran employee of large companies in the technology industry, and he has a good schooling career to back it up. During his early years, he “earned an M.B.A. from Duke University, where he was a Fuqua Scholar, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University.” He then started off his career at IBM, where he eventually became the lead of the manufacturing and distribution functions. Soon, he found himself as vice president of Corporate Materials for Compaq.  Not too long after that in March 1998, Cook first took his position at Apple as the Chief Operating Officer, where he was responsible for the company’s worldwide sales and operations.

If this information isn’t enough for you to believe he is a worthy replacement for Steve for the next six months, read on.  When Steve was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer back in 2004, it was none other than Tim Cook himself who stepped up to fill his position then, too. [Update: According to NPR, Cook was hand picked by Jobs three years ago and has been working very closely with him ever since.] If you ask me, Tim Cook is more than ready to take over at Apple while Steve is out. He’s done it before, he has plenty of experience, and Apple is in a position where they can coast for a bit while the economy is down, anyways. Do you agree?

Via [Apple PR Bios]

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On top of recent news about our favorite CEO, Steve Jobs, not appearing during the keynote at Macworld due to a health issue, there is now even more for us Apple fanboys to theorize about. CNBC is reporting that Steve is taking an official leave from Apple so that he can focus on his health until the end of June. Steve Jobs has left Tim Cook in charge of the day to day operations at Apple and says he will still be around for major decisions.

The entire email form Apple PR:

Team,

  I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

  In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

  I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

  I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

So there you have it, Steve Jobs’ official leave. What does this mean for Apple? Will Steve Jobs be able to make it through this complex health issue of his and still remain so important at Apple? I think this is just one of the few signs we have gotten recently about the diminishing role of Steve Jobs at Apple. With the company becoming evermore pertinent in the tech world, it may be hard for Apple to lose such a key player.  However, I think they have made plenty of preparations for the day comes that he retires. What are your thoughts?

Via [Apple PR]

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It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that when negative news of Apple CEO Steve Jobs crosses the wire, Apple stock is going to drop. That’s been the case today upon news that Jobs is taking a health leave from Apple until the end of June. Jobs will remain CEO, but has put Tim Cook in charge of day to day operations and will be “... involved in major strategic decisions ...” but that hasn’t prevented Apple stock from dropping 2.71% as of 4:00 p.m. today.

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Jobs announced on January 5th, the day before Macworld Conference and Expo, that a hormone imbalance is the reason he had been losing weight throughout 2008. Today’s announcement reveals that the issue is more complex than that.

Of course, we hope that Steve is able to fully recover and return strong than ever in late June. This is certainly the right move for Jobs, and it could also be the right move for Apple. It’s help the media and shareholders get used to a Jobs-less Apple, Inc. while Steve is contributing, and it’ll allow everyone to focus more squarely on Apple’s products instead of on the health of its CEO. In these troubling financial times, the last thing Apple needs is a distraction from its current lineup to make investors jittery.

Assuming all goes Well with Steve, it looks as if he plans to return right around the time WWDC 2009. We hope to see him and some big announcements at that time.

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By now, it’s old news that Apple will no longer be participating in Macworld, one of the biggest Mac focused conference events around. The concrete reason from Apple for this unexpected dropout is nonexistent, making it hard for many of us loyal Mac users to know why they have decided to stop. However, when Apple leaves something open to interpretation from their customers, that is exactly what is going to happen. The following reasons are a couple potential causes for Apple’s “abandonment” of Macworld.

• Could Apple be moving on to bigger, better events? - If you have heard of Macworld, you have most likely heard of the Consumer Electronic Show (CES), which runs at the same time as Macworld.  This event that takes place in Las Vegas attracts 1,700 companies from all over the world every year, making it a boiling pot for new technology.  Knowing Apple has stepped out of Macworld, could they possibly believe it’s time for the company to hop on the CES bandwagon?  Apple has grown a lot these past few years, and I believe the company is ready to make an appearance at such a large event.  That, and it would be really interesting to have two Stevenotes at one event.
• Apple doesn’t need Macworld anymore to announce products - When Apple was a smaller company, they could take great advantage of all the press coverage of Macworld.  However, now that they are much larger with many more products, they don’t necessarily need Macworld to announce a new product.  They can either do it on their own time or even take advantage of CES in the coming years, if they want.  Either way, people will hear about it.

There are plenty more reasons out there that could be just as probable as these, as no one is really sure beyond what Apple has publicly stated. However, both of these reasons seem to be the most prominent in the current news. What are your thoughts? Why has Apple left Macworld?

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So it’s no secret that Phil Schiller was going to be under the magnifying glass during this, Apple’s last Keynote for Macworld. Everyone was watching, and for the most part, he did a great “job.”

Of course, Phil is not Steve Jobs, so there wasn’t that pesky reality distortion field, and there was quite a drought of “booms.” But Phil was confident and I don’t remember any “ums” or “ahs,” so he was quite prepared.

And that preparedness is just what Steve Jobs apparently wanted to avoid this year. So, I guess Steve kinda screwed over the Schiller family this holiday season.  Oh well.

The thing to take away from this is that while Steve Jobs may always be Apple’s fearless leader, he’s not the only one at Apple. Apple employs some of the best workers in the industry who make arguably some of the best products. When Steve finally does decide to leave, I believe the company is still in good hands.

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Earlier this morning, Steve Jobs and the Apple PR team released a letter with more details into Steve’s health. The letter talks about Steve’s current health conditions and what his role will continue to be at Apple, the CEO. He has made it clear in the letter that he will not be stepping down and will continue to serve Apple and the community.

Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.

So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.

Steve

Appletell has been covering Steve’s health since the day people suspected there may be an issue. Most recently though, the rumors began to fly when it was announced that Steve Jobs wouldn’t be delivering this years’ Macworld Keynote address.

I spoke with a physician about this issue, and he told be that hormone imbalances can cause a loss of weight, and this diagnosis is possible. He informed me of some disorders which commonly cause weight-loss due to an imbalance of hormones, two of which are hyperthyroidism and diabetes. While it seems in this case that Steve probably has neither of the two, we are confident that the doctors handling and watching his health will monitor him closely to insure a full recovery.

Stay tuned to Appletell this week for more Macworld 2009 Conference and Expo coverage.

Via [Apple]

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That’s right, and I won’t taint the information in any way.  Here’s the quote direct from Robert Scoble:

I’m in Palo Alto. Just had yogurt at shop that Steve Jobs eats at frequently. They said he was in a couple of days ago and is in great health.

It’s a little known fact that yogurt shop workers are both incredible judges of health and incapable of making things up.

All joking on my part aside, I think the rumors of Jobs’ rapidly declining health are wrong. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see Jobs make an appearance at Schiller’s keynote next week to do some push-ups on stage and perhaps walk briskly around the crowd to demonstrate his health.

As much as I love Jobs and what he’s done with Apple, he isn’t Apple. Apple is a lot more than just Jobs, and even if he were to leave, for any reason, there are still a lot of great people making great products. I think maybe it’s time that we leave Steve and his health alone.

Via [VentureBeat]

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Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo, apparently not at all concerned about Apple’s stock price or its shareholders, ran an article yesterday in which a “source” that has been “100% correct before” suggested the real reason Steve Jobs is not speaking at the Macworld Conference and Expo keynote, and is pulling from Macworld Expo forever and ever and ever, is because Jobs’ health has been “rapidly declining.” Later that day, Jim Goldman at CNBC donned his tights and headed down to the ring for the big Mac Web cage match.

Gizmodo ran the following snippet from their source:

Steves health is rapidly declining. Apple is choosing to remove the hype factor strategically vs letting the hype destroy apple when the inevitable news comes later this spring.

This strategic loss will be less of a bang with investors. This is why Macworld is a no-go anymore. No more Steve means no more hype. Saying they are no longer needing [Macworld] is the cover designed by the worldwide “loyalty” department.

Goldman (or the People’s Champion, as I like to call him)—shot back:

I spoke to Apple after these headlines crossed and the company, which officially doesn’t comment on rumors, reiterated the reasons it offered two weeks ago: Apple was pulling out of Macworld because the company didn’t see the need to continue its investment in the expo, which included Steve Jobs’ keynote.

I was told this morning (Tuesday) that nothing has changed since then. The same reasons apply today that applied two weeks ago.

I was told two weeks ago by sources inside Apple that the decision had nothing to do with Jobs’ health. I got the same message today. Period.

What do you have to say to that, Mr. Diaz, or should I say Conquistador #2?

Speculations on Steve’s health are nothing new. They’ve been surfacing for over a year now. And every now and again, in bin Laden like fashion, Apple will show us a video of Steve to let us know he’s still around. I don’t think there’s an Apple journalist or fan out there who didn’t immediately consider Steve’s health (including us) when Apple announced he wouldn’t be presenting the keynote. But to say that Apple’s pulling from the Expo next year because of the potential of Steve’s absence is very flimsy. Contrary to popular belief, Apple doesn’t need Jobs to announce a major new product, they just need the product. Yes, Steve sure knows how to sell them to crowds, but it’s not like we’re buying crap because Steve says we should. We’re buying iPhone and iPods and Macs because they’re great products.

If Apple needed Macworld Expo to tell us about these products, they would. But why wait until one day each year to do this? Why rush out a product just to have something to announce in January (after the holiday shopping season, by the way). Why sit on a product just have something to announce in January (after the holiday shopping season, by the way). This fall, we saw major announcements with the new iPods, iPhone App Store and aluminum laptops, and they came in the form of small press conferences. The media listened. Apple has also been turning more and more towards their annual Worldwide Developers’ Conference to make major announcements. So, again, do they new Macworld?

Now, none of this means there isn’t some truth to the rumor of Steve’s health, but the notion that they’d pull from a conference if they had any use for it all is just absurd. Even Gizmodo backs away from their own article:

This source has repeatedly been 100% correct before. Those times, however, were always related to news and images of unreleased Apple products. I can only hope that, in this more personal matter, it is absolutely wrong. And that if he is not, that sentence just means that Steve Jobs is retiring according to his plan.

Of course, they follow that up immediately with the accusation that Apple is lying to us, even while admitting that none of this is their business:

While Steve Jobs’ health is nobody’s business—not the press, not investors, not the public—we believe that there’s a line between saying “no-comment” and plainly misleading—once again—the public.

What do I think of all this? Nothing. I’m just looking forward to Macworld and the keynote, with or without Steve. But if you’re wondering why we didn’t run this story yesterday…well, let me tag in Mr. Goldman:

I will say again: if Apple is lying, holding some truth back, manipulating its own stock by manipulating the truth, someone — indeed a lot of people — could be going to jail. Do I like the way Apple has handled this ongoing story? No. But do I traffic in rumors to fill the void the company has created by not choosing to be more forthcoming about Jobs’ health? Absolutely not.

When Apple’s got something material to report, I trust that it will. Meantime, unsourced garbage nuking its shares is just that.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Read [Gizmodo] Via [CNBC]

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The news of the absence of our favorite, black turtleneck wearing CEO at this year’s MacWorld event is certainly well known by now. However, it is not known why he or Apple has decided to make this decision, especially with only about three weeks left until this year’s event. It certainly came as a shock to most Apple fans out there. When you take the time to sit down and think about it, there are a few reasons why this could be so.

For one, there is always the thought that Steve Jobs may be too sick to talk at this year’s event. It is widely known that he has pancreatic cancer and has long been feeling the after effects of the treatment for it. Recently, sharp eyed Apple fans have noticed how he is thinner and thinner at every appearance. This certainly can’t be good for him.

Then, there is always the thought that Mr. Jobs himself may be soon stepping down from Apple. He has been there for quite some time, and is getting pretty old for a job that I’m sure requires a lot of energy. It takes a man with a lot of passion to stick around for as long as he has. That said, the announcement that Phil Schiller will be giving this year’s keynote leads to another thought. Could Steve be taking Phil under his wing to get him ready to fill in? I guess only time will tell for this question.

Still, there may be a third reason. Perhaps Apple doesn’t have any eye opening gadgets to announce this year since their products have been at full tilt lately. With no really exciting news, maybe Steve has simply decided to step down a little bit this year and let somebody else take over. After all, what would a keynote be without any great new products to talk about? What would happen to all of those famous “booms?” Exactly.

Going against the popular saying “last but not least,” the final reason may be the least likely. How great would it be if good ol’ Steve showed up half way through the keynote to make a surprise speech to our adoring hearts? Alright, that’s not going to happen, but one can hope.

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It seems as if there has been a lot of news lately about Apple. Usually, this is a good thing.  However, recently it seems as if most of this news is negative in one way or another. With health concerns, keynote absences, and cancellations, this can’t be good for Apple’s PR, especially during the holiday season. Although some of these items are bigger news than others, they are all important to the company.

No Stevenote at MacWorld this year - That’s right, folks, Steve won’t be giving his regular keynote that features him talking all things Apple in a customary black turtle neck this year. Phil Schiller will be taking his place. That said, Steve will still be on everyone’s mind. With health concerns about the Apple co-founder (and some may say necessity), the announcement of his absence has geeks worldwide in curiosity and awe. Does this mean he will be retiring soon? Is there no good news this year for him to announce? Is he prepping Phil to take his place? We’ll have to wait and see.

Apple’s last MacWorld - Although we could have seen it coming, Apple has announced that this will be the last year in which they will participate in the MacWorld event. With their market share increasing, Apple doesn’t need this event anymore to boost their reputation; they can do it all on their own. I can’t remember the last time the press didn’t go crazy over a new Apple product no matter what time it was launched, let alone at MacWorld.  Although this isn’t great news, I don’t think it is all that bad.

Apple Expo Paris canceled - As Apple gradually lowered their participation in this event, it just hasn’t been able to get the required amount of attention. Therefore, the event has been canceled this year. If this is any hint at the future, let’s hope we don’t see the same thing happening to Macworld San Francisco. Otherwise, what will all of us Apple fanboys gawk about every year?

Extra
No Netbooks - Even with rumors ablaze a while back about Apple netbooks, we have yet to see Apple launch one. It is believed this is because they can’t make a quality product for cheap enough. However, they need to. Especially with the economy the way it is, many people aren’t willing to purchase $1,000+ plus notebooks. There is reason to believe the cheapness of netbooks is going to make them extremely popular very soon now (if they aren’t already), and Apple needs to be there when that happens.

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It seems yesterday’s announcement of Apple’s intent to stop exhibiting at Macworld was the culmination of years of desire to stop attending the event. They even reportedly almost quit going in 2002, but for some reason didn’t.

Gizmodo’s Jesus Diaz has this to share.

About two years ago I was sharing some wine with a friend from Apple and he told me: “We are going to phase out all trade shows”. “Even Macworld?,” I asked. “Yes,” he said, “Macworld will go too. I don’t know when, but it will.”

Apparently, these events (more than just Macworld) are not that important, at least not as much as they used to be. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Apple can hold their own special events whenever they want to and get similar results.

So maybe we should have seen this coming. And maybe we should have expected Steve Jobs to stop giving keynotes. No matter what, it will be interesting to see what happens at both this year’s and next year’s Macworld.

Via [Gizmodo]

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Today Apple surprised everyone with the announcement that this year’s Macworld will be their last. Apple has been scaling things back for some time now, but the real shocker is that Apple’s last opening keynote at Macworld will be Jobs-less.

Jobs has been dropping hints of a Steve-free future in past keynotes by bringing other speakers in on the fun. I just didn’t think the transition was complete, and maybe it’s not. Maybe Apple is testing reception of a non-Jobs keynote. Obviously we don’t wish this to be the case, but maybe it’s Jobs’ health that’s the real reason for his absence. In any event, I think I speak for the entire Apple community when I say…Steve, you will be missed.

Even though Steve isn’t scheduled for the keynote, I don’t think he’ll be completely absent. He might be there watching, he may stand up to talk for a few minutes. Even if he’s not there, he’s who everyone will be talking about…unless Phil kills it.

So the pressure is on Schiller’s shoulders. Since there’s no reality distortion field to fall back on, the announcements need to be phenomenal. Hearing about the success that is the iPhone 3G is great and all, but we feed on product announcements. A less than stellar keynote could really dampen the fun of the whole week. And if a subpar keynote were to take place, Steve’s absence would cast a shadow over Macworld, and ever worse, perhaps over sales.

I’ve got a suggestion for you, Phil. If you’d like to remove any doubt from our minds about this keynote, if you’d like to begin Apple’s final Macworld San Fransisco to roars of applause, start it off something like this… “I know you were expecting Steve today…but instead I brought along another one of my friends…the MacBook Touch.”

Does it make you sad that Steve won’t be giving the keynote for Apple’s final Macworld? Is this a sign of things to come? Is Schiller on the path to stepping in for Jobs when he leaves? What does Apple need to do now? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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It might be hard to remember a time when Steve Jobs would wear anything but a black turtle neck with blue jeans, but, as you can see, it has happened at least once in the past 30 years. What a rare find. Plus, the ‘stache certainly adds a lot of points to this pic, as does posing along with the gang from Sesame Street. I wouldn’t be opposed to Steve posing in Apple adds. Although, he does command the Reality Distortion Field, so viewers would be powerless to resist the urge to buy anything with an Apple on it.

Aside: Actually, this brings up an important warning. With Macworld Expo approaching, you may want to formulate a strategy of how to deal with the Reality Distortion Field. I’ve failed to resist it many times in the past, and with the current economy, you may not be able to afford to fail this time around.

It’s still a mystery whether anything other than blue jeans has ever adorned the legs of Steve Jobs. He may actually have been born with them on. Pics like this are great, so if you have any, leave a comment and share the fun with the rest of us.

Via [AlleyInsider]

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Every quarter, Apple must tell the SEC how much money they are returning to Steve Jobs for all of his travel expenses. As an example, last quarter Apple reimbursed Jobs a staggering $102,000 for his flight and travel expenses on his Gulfstream jet. Even more staggering than last quarter’s number is this quarter’s, in which Jobs racked up a nice $189,000 in travel fees. All in all, over the summer and this year, with the release of the iPhone 3G and such, Jobs spent about a half a million dollars so far. Although it may seem like Jobs is spending a lot of Apple’s money, there are also upsides to these numbers.

One important thing these large numbers could mean is that our favorite CEO is making more and more negotiations worldwide. This is obviously good for Apple as a company as it can help them keep in good terms with their suppliers and retailers across the world. So, in general, when Mr. Jobs’ travel expenses are up, so are the chances we will see new products and announcements from Apple. The only downside I can see to his travels is the little money Apple spends on them (compared to how much they currently have), as well as the carbon footprint.

Via Alley Insider

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