World of Apple

It has finally been officially confirmed that Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs has returned to work after a six month medical leave. It was already speculated that Jobs has returned to work last week but an official comment from Apple PR has now confirmed it.

“Steve is back to work,” said Steve Dowling, a spokesman at the Cupertino, California-based company. Jobs is at Apple a few days a week and working from home the rest of the time, he said. “We are very glad to have him back.”

The Loop is also reporting that Jobs was spotted around campus and is said to be still looking thin but have “more color in his face and looked happy.”

Following rumours that Steve Jobs had received a liver transplant several months ago the hospital who performed the operation has come out into the open.

James D. Eason, M.D., program director at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute and chief of transplantation confirmed today, with the patient’s permission, that Steve Jobs received a liver transplant at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in partnership with the University of Tennessee in Memphis.

Steve Jobs is said to be recovering well and evidence suggests that the CEO has returned to work this week.

He received a liver transplant because he was the patient with the highest MELD score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) of his blood type and, therefore, the sickest patient on the waiting list at the time a donor organ became available. Mr. Jobs is now recovering well and has an excellent prognosis.

Apparently two pieces of fairly substantial news passed right through the majority of the Apple web today.

In Apple’s press release announcing that it had sold over one million iPhone 3GS devices in it’s first weekend not only did a product name change spelling but a CEO who’s meant to be on leave made an appearance.

It initially looked like an error on behalf of Apple’s PR department (and could still be) but several individuals have confirmed to World of Apple and external sources are also saying that Apple is now opting with iPhone 3GS rather than iPhone 3G S. Apple’s own iPhone 3GS website hasn’t changed and the documentation included with my iPhone 3GS isn’t likely to ever change.

The comment was small, it was subtle but was this the official return of Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs?

“Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

Jobs who is expected back to work at the end of June hasn’t had a comment on a press release since before his announcement that he’d be taking a six month medical leave back January.

[Update] World of Apple has received official word from Apple PR that Apple is now using iPhone 3GS, this is evident by a website wide change earlier today on Apple.com. Because of this World of Apple has also changed all references to read iPhone 3GS.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple CEO who is currently on leave from Apple due to health reasons received a liver transplant “about two months” ago.

The operation which was said to have taken place in Tennessee is being reported by the Journal as fact more than rumour although no sources are identified and a comment from Jobs’ personal spokeswoman Katie Cotton prompted the customary; “Steve continues to look forward to returning at the end of June, and there’s nothing further to say.”

The report adds some validity to a rumour which was initially ignored which stated that Steve Jobs was receiving medical treatment in Memphis, Tennessee.

Steve Jobs is expected to return to Apple at the end of June.

Philip Elmer-DeWit over at the Apple 2.0 blog has written a post on the mainstream media and the constant obsession with Steve Jobs’ health and future return to Apple.

The post is in response to several reports from top mainstream publications around the world who have supposedly received confirmation that Steve Jobs will return to Apple at the end of this month.

The first mention of Steve Jobs’ return was in his own memo that announced his medical leave for six months, at the end of the memo Jobs wrote, “I look forward,” adding “to seeing all of you this summer.”

Since that memo Apple has reiterated multiple times that Jobs will return to the company at the end of June, usually with the following thirteen words.

“We look forward to Steve returning to Apple at the end of June.”

Falling fowl of Apple’s consistent statement was UK based The Times who wrote:

“Steve Jobs will return to work at Apple at the end of this month, it was confirmed today…”

According to The Times confirmation comes in the form of an Apple spokesman who said:

“We look forward to Steve returning to Apple at the end of June.”

Seem somewhat familiar?

Luckily The Daily Telegraph didn’t fall down quite so hard, but the sensationalist headline has something to be desired.

A report from the Wall Street Journal suggests that Apple may hold a special event to coincide with the return of Steve Jobs in late-June.

While Mr. Jobs has been on sick leave, some Apple directors have gotten weekly updates about his medical condition from the CEO’s physician, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Jobs’s recovery “is coming along” and he is on schedule to return to work later this month, said this person, who has seen Mr. Jobs in recent weeks.

WSJ cites sources who have ties to Apple senior management who told them that the company is trying to co-ordinate Jobs’ return with a product launch.

Much of the buzz appears to be conjecture of the type that has swirled around Apple and Mr. Jobs for years. But two people who do business with Apple said senior Apple managers have told them the company is now trying to coordinate Mr. Jobs’s return with a product launch or public event.

The article does not cite when the event would be or what product would be launched alongside Jobs’ return.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak recently had a chance to talk with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Wozniak commented from the “All Things D” hosted by the Wall Street Journal saying that Jobs sounded “healthy” and “energetic”.

Wozniak said that Jobs “doesn’t sound like he’s sick,” but didn’t ask directly how his health was.

Steve Jobs began a six month long break as Apple CEO in January to recuperate. Jobs is said to be returning to Apple in late-June.

On Tuesday evening Steve Jobs was due to attend a Woodside town council meeting to put forward the case to have a 30-room mansion demolished. More details and history can be seen in this article.

Of interest from last nights meeting was the lack of Jobs’ attendance, “I don’t think he would be strong enough if we were here until 1 a.m., and I think there’s a strong possibility of that,” said Howard Ellman, Jobs’ attorney.

As journalists are not officially allowed to enter the shareholders meeting and attendees are not permitted to have communication devices details of the meeting often trickle through several hours after the close of the meeting.

According to a detailed account by Prince McLean both a shareholder and blogger for AppleInsider the meeting was dominated by politics but also gave way to a happy birthday rendition and some questions for the executive team.

Both McLean and the Associated Press are reporting that Tim Cook fielded a question on Steve Jobs’ plans in which Cook assured investors, and shareholders that Steve Jobs plans to return to the company in June.

The investor had pressed for details about when the board of directors knew Jobs planned to step away from his daily duties. Apple director Arthur Levinson responded only by saying that since Jobs announced Jan. 14 that he needed to go on leave, “nothing has changed.”

Also despite the ban on communication devices some members of the Investor Village’s AAPL Sanity board posted a live blog from the event.

Here’s what they filed (all times EST):

12:04 Cheddarmuff: Just waiting to go in to the meeting. Hanging out with idannyb in the hall. Another solid apple shareholder.

No sign of Goldman yet… more to come later.

12:21 idannyb: Cheddarmuff and I are in the meeting now … Music playing and shareholders filing in. Reuters cornered us to ask a few questions. Apple rep tried to give the reporter the bums rush.

12:46 Cheddarmuff: They separated the media from the shareholders. Not sure who we will and won’t see at this point.

Agenda

1 welcome and intro’s
2 admin (quorum, etc)
3 present board nominees
4 stmts to shareholders and presentation of shareholder proposals
5 other
6 vote
7 q and a

Mgmt team just came in. Phil, johnny, tim

Gore is here.

12:51 Cheddarmuff: Andrea Jung from Avon is here

Looks like most of the mgmt team is here (no Steve of course).

About to begin.

12:54 idannyb: The BOD have taken seats
Gore and Andre Jung (Avon) + full Apple ex mgmt team (sans SJ) -TC, PO, jonny Ive, Ron J., Phil S.
TC….
Starting intros

12:54 Cheddarmuff: Tim talking

Dan cooperman general counsel.

Whole board is here. Tim said no jobs due to medical leave.

1:05 Cheddarmuff: “I am not a crook ” Shelton is not a fan of al gore. Already some drama and comedy (cracking jokes about this being like the academy awards…board election)

1:08 idannyb: Environmental activist now railing about Apple environmental sustainability. Calling out Gore

1:10 Cheddarmuff: Talking about political spending proposal. UAW rep talking

Hp, dell are better than apple at disclosing information.

1:21 Cheddarmuff: Starting to interesting…I like Sheldon, keeps it interesting. Just called the people proposing socialists.

Now talking about climate change.

There was one attempt to talk about jobs health that was shot down quick. Bet there will be more in the Q&A

1:23 idannyb: AFLCIO made a speech on universal health care … Tried to bring up SJ health. Cooperman cut him off
Another shareholder railed over “socialist” AFLCIO… Used profanity and then left the mtg.

Another environment activist took tv mike blasted Gore… Wants AAPL to get greener

1:32 Cheddarmuff: About to move toward q and a. Should be interesting.

1:40 idannyb: Proxy stuff over
TC PO and DC now on stage
Apple has increase rev 4xs in 4 yrs
$8 billio to $32 billion… Income growth even better
Mac and iPod share growing
iPhone 13.7 million iphone’s in 2008
Macbooks very green
iTunes team sold more of something than Walmart
iPhone in 70 countries
App Store success is staggering
Retail opened a store per week
Best experience
Top notebook provider to education in US
T Cook is on a roll!

1:44 idannyb: AFLCIO hitting hard on SJ health
Art Levenson responding.. Nothing new disclosed
We have met all disclosure

1:46 Cheddarmuff: First question about disclosure of Jobs health quoting 10b-5 rules. Saying company should correct bad data

Arthur levinsom responding…jobs still involved. Succession plan has regularly discussed. No disclosure about health or plan.

Next person is complimenting company for beautiful products. Wishes Steve well. Singing happy birthhday to Steve..EVERYONE singing.

[1:51 Reuters is reporting that the shareholders voted to re-elect the company’s slate of directors and voted down several shareholder-sponsored resolutions regarding executive pay, sustainability and healthcare reform. (link)]

1:52 Cheddarmuff: Next person asking why there isn’t more diversity in exec team.

Tim- we take diversity very seriously.

Next person… Long preamble and complaining that apple is getting out of macworld.

Tim- I have very fond memories of Macworld. Where we are now with retail investment blows macworld out of the water. Also we can announce press conferences whenever we want now which is better for the company.

1:57 idannyb: TC responding to “keep macworld” speech… Spoke eloquently about Apple stores, Apple reaching so many customer and platform build of iphone and app store

1:59 idannyb: Far more responses being delivered by BOD members

2:04 idannyb: Too many soap box agenda driven questions this year…
No core shareholder vaule Qs
Tempted to grab a mic but mtg winding down

2:22 Cheddarmuff: Meeting over. I got to talk with Tim Cook after the meeting…a very nice guy. We overheard a discussion with Peter as well.

Got to talk with Jim Goldman on the way out. Nice guy.

# # #

On Wednesday February 25th 2009 Apple will hold its annual shareholders meeting and CEO Steve Jobs will not be attending for the first time in more than ten years.

As Bloomberg reports the meeting will give shareholders a chance to question Apple executives and directors on the state of Apple and most likely Steve Jobs’ health.

Steve Jobs has been on medical leave from Apple since mid-January and is set to return to the company in June.