Just about everyone knows that Steve Jobs is the face and lifeblood of Apple, and while some Apple-lovers claim that this is not the case, investors think otherwise. Following the last few keynotes and what seemed to be a final blow, investors felt "on ice" about Steve Jobs and the future of the company, and their money held in stock. Steve Jobs" letter to the public has lightened the hearts of his fans around the world and will allow the keynote at Macworld 2009 to be free of mourners and speculation about Steve"s health.
But, what does this all mean? Apple"s stock, just as basically all other stock, has been steadily falling, but this simple letter rose prices almost 6% - undoubtedly making investors some extra cash and Apple a considerable amount of money. The price is expected to go up in the next few days as well as new rumored products are announced and hyped. However, today"s large increase signals a weak spot - Steve Jobs is highly tied to Apple and its stock.
While the letter was a short-run solution and a boost, the long-run situation remains the same - Steve will not be CEO forever. Phil Schiller"s keynote will remind us all of that as we refresh our browsers continuously during the keynote, and read the news about the latest gadgets afterward.