Jobs' return to Apple may hinge on public event

[AppleInsider]

Although Apple has long said its CEO Steve Jobs' return to regular work is slated for late June, a report has the company waiting for a major event before the co-founder truly resumes his post -- one which he briefly risked never seeing again.

Senior managers at the company have supposedly said on Thursday that it wants to time the return for either a product introduction or some other public event, though just what that would entail wasn't provided. Most others, including analysts, don't expect this to involve next week's WWDC keynote; Apple has claimed that Phil Schiller and other executives would jointly host the Monday opening presentation for the developer gathering.

The Wall Street Journal goes so far as to cite other, anonymous sources to support such a view. One claimed eyewitness says Apple's new iPhone is in a sufficient state as to be shown at WWDC and reiterates details that have already been leaked through previous rumors, including a faster processor and video recording with an after-the-fact editing feature.

Even if there is no convenient event to parallel his return, Jobs is believed by those who have recently met him to be healthy enough to meet his official goal of an end-of-June return. The luminary has been seen on campus more than once ahead of this date.

One of those, however, adds color to the story and says that Jobs' official claim of a hormonal imbalance in January was accurate, but that it was more grave than portrayed in the executive's open letter. While it's true that the difference was denying Jobs necessary protein, the decay was enough that it could have been deadly without the "corrective action" taken after months of related health problems.

"Fundamentally he was starving to death over a nine-month period," the apparent insider says, also echoing reports of weekly physician updates to keep Apple executives up to date.

Apple, of course, declines to elaborate either on any event details or on Jobs' health beyond its months-old official statements.

[justlikeglass]

.....

[justlikeglass]

surely there can't be an entirely separate event for an umb update, can there?

i'm waiting with baited breath for the update before I buy, and I'm really hoping it's coming monday morning.

[Gmac]

Jobs return is THE event. No need for a product to go along with it. Put him out on stage, have him say "Boom". Done. That would send the stock through the roof.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by justlikeglass

surely there won't be an entirely separate event for an umb update, can there?

i'm waiting with baited breath for the update before I buy, and I'm really hoping it's coming monday morning.

I don’t know what you meant to say with “umb update” but a Snow Leopard and iPhone Video preview are expected late Tuesday morning PST.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Gmac

Jobs return is THE event. No need for a product to go along with it. Put him out on stage, have him say "Boom". Done. That would send the stock through the roof.

All joking aside, you’ve got to hand it to Apple to spin a sick CEO into their marketing engine.

[justlikeglass]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I don’t know what you meant to say with “umb update” but a Snow Leopard and iPhone Video preview are expected late Tuesday morning PST.

umb=unibody macbook

[kenaustus]

I can only wish Steve Jobs well. Been through 2 cancers, as has my wife, and I have a huge admiration for someone who can go through the challenges he has and still be able to be productive in his work at Apple. People who have not faced these challenges simply cannot understand the achievements of Jobs since his diagnosis.

As for WWDC, I would love Phil to say, "One More Thing" and have Steve walk out on stage and say hello. That would be the best One More Thing that we have ever had!

[mdriftmeyer]

Perhaps the new AppleTV and more?

[pmoeser]

I don't see why Apple would use Steve to announce a new product.
The financial press have punished their share price by hinging everything on his shoulders.
Apple have done just fine without him and I doubt he'd want to steal any thunder.
Schiller, Cook et al will make the announcements and Steve might show up on the actual day the phones are released. But he won't make the announcement.

Unless he decided a 10" touch screen device would have been nice to have while he was lying in bed recovering...

[freelander51]

You know most people just go back to work after being sick. They do not get an orchestrated event for this

[brucep]

Originally Posted by kenaustus

I can only wish Steve Jobs well. Been through 2 cancers, as has my wife, and I have a huge admiration for someone who can go through the challenges he has and still be able to be productive in his work at Apple. People who have not faced these challenges simply cannot understand the achievements of Jobs since his diagnosis.

As for WWDC, I would love Phil to say, "One More Thing" and have Steve walk out on stage and say hello. That would be the best One More Thing that we have ever had!

I also have just recovered from cancer. I am still feeble and weak months later .

Hey ken I wish you and your wife good health. and of course steve too .

peace

9

[nvidia2008]

Jobs won't be at WWDC. But he will be at probably some event inbetween WWDC and Christmas ~ possible Mac tablet announcement, otherwise, some other goodies to sustain interest post-new-iPhone-madness.

[maddoguk]

Although he did a good job in the past, I think that's where Steve belongs.

Apple needs new blood and new ideas.

[hiimamac]

Originally Posted by Gmac

Jobs return is THE event. No need for a product to go along with it. Put him out on stage, have him say "Boom". Done. That would send the stock through the roof.

we all know 1st :40 minutes will be Apple patting themself in the back about the app store and sales. That said, am happy, a little, he is coming back but glad be is okay.

[ghostface147]

They are doing just fine without him. Perhaps he needs to stay behind the scenes and be a consultant or something to that effect.

[GTL215]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Perhaps the new AppleTV and more?

i would LOVE that.

[GTL215]

Originally Posted by pmoeser

The financial press have punished their share price by hinging everything on his shoulders.

Apple stock is up 60 some-odd % since jobs went on leave, versus 20-something % for the broader NASDAQ market.

[kinglear]

It all fits. If Steve is OK for end of June he is OK next week. The BIG theater of Steve being a surprise speaker to introduce the new iPhones is classic. Steve likes to beat expectations. His team has shown its capability without him, no further point to make there. I would not be short going in to Monday.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by Gmac

Jobs return is THE event. No need for a product to go along with it. Put him out on stage, have him say "Boom". Done. That would send the stock through the roof.

Yeah. Except it'll go "Bust" when the reverse happens, as we know it (unfortunately and inevitably) will, one day.

I think it is time for SJ to adopt a "wise elder" role at Apple, and start to disengage himself visibly and gently from day-to-day strategy setting and implementation.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Perhaps the new AppleTV and more?

That would be really nice!

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Perhaps the new AppleTV and more?

I'm sure he would introduce the tablet before that lemon- part II. It has so much baggage on it - I really don't see how he could ressurect it.

[applestockholder]

Originally Posted by freelander51

You know most people just go back to work after being sick. They do not get an orchestrated event for this

Most people are not visionaries that have introduced to the market several disruptive technologies/products...

Most people that really try can only dream of maybe, and I mean maybe, introducing one disruptive technology or product...

[Jerseymac]

Originally Posted by kenaustus

As for WWDC, I would love Phil to say, "One More Thing" and have Steve walk out on stage and say hello. That would be the best One More Thing that we have ever had!

That would be awesome. I just hope he's well. And damn the stock. Money isn't everything.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by Jerseymac

That would be awesome. I just hope he's well. And damn the stock. Money isn't everything.

Great post . i also wish steve well . damn the rest

9

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by Gmac

Jobs return is THE event.

Originally Posted by solipsism

All joking aside, you’ve got to hand it to Apple to spin a sick CEO into their marketing engine.

Originally Posted by pmoeser

The financial press have punished their share price by hinging everything on his shoulders.

And there is the reason why Steve's return would be a marketing event. Because the media, analysts etc, went for this notion that Apple is Steve Jobs. that he's the only designer, engineer and thinker there and without him, the company is a bunch of morons.

so every time he coughed, yawned or farted, much less anything worse, it was the end of the world and the stock price went down.

Originally Posted by maddoguk

Although he did a good job in the past, I think that's where Steve belongs.

Apple needs new blood and new ideas.

Originally Posted by ghostface147

They are doing just fine without him. Perhaps he needs to stay behind the scenes and be a consultant or something to that effect.

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

Yeah. Except it'll go "Bust" when the reverse happens, as we know it (unfortunately and inevitably) will, one day.

I think it is time for SJ to adopt a "wise elder" role at Apple, and start to disengage himself visibly and gently from day-to-day strategy setting and implementation.

anyone that thinks that Steve wasn't there this whole time is just being foolish. Apple has made tons of tech for working from anywhere and Steve was certainly still involved.

As for the 'go bust' comments. that's the same game the media was putting that nearly killed the company. The whole point of getting Steve off the stage was to show that the rest of the company are not morons. get the media off this rock star game about Steve. Let them see, let us see, the other folks that do just as much work as Steve.

Also, technology is not an overnight thing. you can bet whatever they are doing now is the result of years of work and they have things started now (under Steve's guidance) that wouldn't show up for another 3-5 years.

The company will be fine.

[applestockholder]

Originally Posted by charlituna

first off. it's not like he really left. you can promise that he is aware of everything that happened. that he had emails, ichats etc probably daily. so i just love the implications otherwise

second, I agree. his return is cause for an event. I actually suspect that he will appear at WWDC just not giving the keynote. Phil will give the scoop on the finals of the phone software, hardware if there is going to be, something about Snow Leopard, maybe a minor specs change on the computers or such. and then just when folks think he's about to intro someone for a Tony Bennett, he'll go "and one more thing" and Steve will walk out on stage, not looking perfect probably but looking better and will announce that he's officially returning July 1 (or whatever) but how could he not be there to see all the excitement, blah blah. or if not on stage, they will chat him in.

I think Phil will talk to Steve Jobs via iChat, maybe even from the phone...
Doubt he will walk on stage

[jimerl]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

"Fundamentally he was starving to death over a nine-month period,"

What is this breakthrough diet secret !?

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Perhaps the new AppleTV and more?

AppleTV will only receive a storage bump and minor software update in the Sept/Oct time frame.

The "new" AppleTV won't be ready till 2010 when Apple completes it's custom ARM chips.
Apple's custom chips will power a new generation of iPods, iPhones, AppleTVs, Time Capsules, Airport Base Stations as well as future products such as tablets and netbooks.

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Originally Posted by charlituna

Also, technology is not an overnight thing. you can bet whatever they are doing now is the result of years of work and they have things started now (under Steve's guidance) that wouldn't show up for another 3-5 years.

The company will be fine.

5 years is an eternity in the computer industry.
While Apple may have a general direction it want's be in five years, I assure you they only have a CLEAR vision for products 1-2 years out.
The iPod was developed in 8 months.
The iPhone was in development for 2.5 years(I'm sure the end product was very different from what they initially planed).

[AgNuke1707]

As cool as it would be for Steve to be the "One More Thing" and then have him give a quick hello and introduce the tablet Mac, I'm VERY doubtful that it'll happen ... mainly because I just don't think Apple is ever going to make a tablet Mac. Doing that, also puts Apple in an awkward position of having to push back the execs they've been touting as the future of Apple. They've survived two major announcements without him giving the keynote, and I think Phil and the rest of the executives have done a fantastic job in presenting the products.

In the end, Apple isn't about Steve Jobs ... it's about making great, iconic products that people want to use. I wish Steve the best, and I don't think we've seen the last Jobsnote yet, but I do think we're starting to see his gradual recession from Apple's limelight.

[studiomusic]

Originally Posted by jimerl

What is this breakthrough diet secret !?

Cancer.

[ecking]

Originally Posted by kenaustus

As for WWDC, I would love Phil to say, "One More Thing" and have Steve walk out on stage and say hello. That would be the best One More Thing that we have ever had!

That would be a pretty awesome move, people would go absolutely nuts.

[Dogcow]

For WWDC: I Expect Phil and the others to spend the first 75 minutes talking about 10.6 and iPhone 3.0 software (this is a dev conference after all) and the last 15 minutes to be Steve coming out and talking about the new iPhone hardware and thanking everyone. (Followed by 8 minutes of some random pseduo-indy-pop music act )

[echosonic]

Originally Posted by Gmac

Jobs return is THE event. No need for a product to go along with it. Put him out on stage, have him say "Boom". Done. That would send the stock through the roof.

So awesome. So true...

[echosonic]

Originally Posted by Jerseymac

And damn the stock. Money isn't everything.

uh, yes, it is.


grow up.

[pmoeser]

Originally Posted by GTL215

Apple stock is up 60 some-odd % since jobs went on leave, versus 20-something % for the broader NASDAQ market.

Sorry, I wasn't really very clear about what I was trying to say.

Back when the uncertainty about his health was the topic, the "pundits" punished Apple and their share price suffered.

I agree that they are going gangbusters right now and that is why they probably won't wheel him out at WWDC.

It'll hurt him personally not to be involved though

[pmoeser]

Originally Posted by teckstud

I'm sure he would introduce the tablet before that lemon- part II. It has so much baggage on it - I really don't see how he could ressurect it.

Spoken like someone who has never used one.

But it's Steve! He did it with the whole company. An AppleTV would be a walk in the park!

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by pmoeser

Back when the uncertainty about his health was the topic, the "pundits" punished Apple and their share price suffered.

While I’m sure that it did suffer from that negative news, Apple’s flucuations have been mostly with the market, with the tech stocks moving faster up and down than other stocks. My Amazon recouped faster than Apple and I dont’ recall any bad press about their CEO.

[lightstriker]

Originally Posted by solipsism

All joking aside, you’ve got to hand it to Apple to spin a sick CEO into their marketing engine.

Apple IS NOT spinning anything. Secrecy and non-disclosures are Apple's forte, whether its products or CEO health. AppleInsider and other medias are spinning this. MS spins, Apple withholds info.

The AI article is contraditing, "Senior managers at the company " vs. "Apple has claimed that Phil Schiller and other executives ". Schiller is not a senior manager?