Apple Says Steve Jobs Had Bug, Didn't Want to Miss WWDC

by , 8:25 PM EDT, June 10th, 2008

For those concerned about Steve Jobs' health after his thinner-than-usual appearance at the WWDC, Apple said he had been suffering from a "common bug," but that he simply didn't want to miss the World Wide Developer's Conference. The company issued a statement to DoW Jones after questions about Mr. Jobs' health arose concerning his appearance at the event.

"He's been on antibiotics and getting better day by day and didn't want to miss WWDC," an Apple spokesperson told the news service. "That's all there is to it."

Concerns about his health started after he was diagnosed with a rare form of Pancreatic Cancer called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor. That form of cancer was operable, and Mr. Jobs successfully underwent that surgery in 2004. Since that time, fluctuations in weight or appearance have often been questioned, largely because Apple's stupendous success tied directly to Steve Jobs' leadership of the company since his return in 1997.

Such was the case after the WWDC keynote, where much of the presentation was conducted by executives Scott Forstall and Phil Schiller, and Mr. Jobs appeared thinner than he has in the past. Apple's explanation suggests there is little to be concerned about.