Apparently, when your friends & family mark you as "The Apple Guy, that means they have to pass on any story, news item, or baseless rumor they hear that in any way concerns, Apple, because they think it somehow slipped under your radar and you will be eternally grateful to them. I dont know why people have to keep telling em why Apple pulled out of Macworld. Or ask me how Steve is doing, like somehow I have gone to see him in hospital or something. But, here ya go. Now you can all rest easy.

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

There ya go. I still say Apple was plannin on pulling out of the expo a long time ago. The whole industry has realized for awhile now the hype and one-upmanship around expos was getting out of hand. Sony, Fujitsu, Avid, Cisco... theyre all backing off. This was inevitable, and better for everyone, particularly the poor bastar programmers who have to work tooth and nail to get their projects done in time for an artificial deadline.