WSJ: Jobs Ready to Return to Apple Helm

(I’m linking to Google’s search results to get around the Journal’s stupid pay wall — non-subscribers can read WSJ articles for free when you click through via Google). Yukari Iwatani Kane and Joann S. Lublin, reporting for The Wall Street Journal:

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.

And:

Speculation is mounting among Apple’s business partners and analysts about whether Mr. Jobs will make an appearance at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference next week — particularly because he is known for making surprise announcements at events.

It’s great to hear that Jobs is doing well and is on track to return to full-time duty, but I don’t expect to see him at WWDC. Sure, it’d be a surprise, the audience (yours truly included) would go into conniptions, and the stock would jump five or ten points. But then what happens the next time there’s a keynote address where Jobs is not the scheduled speaker? Everyone will expect Jobs to show up as a “surprise”. I’d love to be proven wrong on this one, though.

★ Thursday, 4 June 2009