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The Apple faithful gave Steve Jobs a heartfelt welcome back to center stage Wednesday, five months after the iconic chief executive received a life-saving liver transplant.
Looking gaunt but well in a loose fitting pair of jeans and his trademark mock turtleneck long sleeve shirt, Jobs took a few moments before the company’s rock ‘n’ roll themed music event in San Francisco to reflect on the dramatic events that unfolded in the past year.
“I now have the liver of a mid-twenties person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here without such generosity and I hope all of us can be as generous and elect to become organ donors.”
He also took a moment to thank Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook and other members of the executive team for steering the company “ably in a difficult period.” For Jobs, who is known for his showmanship, this was a low-key and sincere return to the spotlight. It felt real and the audience responded in kind.
For most, his appearance on stage was the event. It was followed, of course, by a wide range of product announcements from a new operating system for the company’s iPod music players, to new pricing and versions of the iPod Nano and Shuffle, and a revamp of the iTunes online music store.
While most things in the Apple universe have been progressing well in his absence, the iPod lineup is one area that could use some of Job’s magic. It remains a big part of the company’s revenues, but iPod sales have slipped to just 18% of the overall revenue. In the fourth quarter of 2005, they were responsible for as much as one-third of revenues. The decline is, in part, due to the overwhelming success of the company’s iPhone product, which incorporates all of the music features of the iPod with the added benefit of serving as a smartphone.
With the crucial holiday shopping season on the horizon in the midst of a stubborn recession, Apple needs to pump up the iPod to create buzz again.
But enough about the products. It was good to see Jobs on stage again and looking like he is making a recovery. And yes, thanks to someone’s generosity, the technology world will be able to continue benefitting from his vision.
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