Apple CEO Steve Jobs is once again “fully operational,” according to unnamed sources cited Tuesday by BusinessWeek. The magazine said that Mr. Jobs is working a full schedule, and quoted analysts who said that investors should be cheered by the knowledge that Mr. Jobs is fully engaged in product development and other strategic aspects of Apple’s business.
Mr. Jobs’s health has been the subject of much observation, commentary, speculation, and concern, especially following a six month medical leave-of-absence he had to take one year ago, and during which he had liver replacement surgery.
“While he remains thin and talks with acquaintances about his struggle to put on weight,” the magazine reported, “[Mr.] Jobs is coping well with his health issues following last year’s surgery, according to people close to him who asked not to be named because they’re not authorized to speak for Jobs or Apple.”
Several analysts and industry observers outside of Apple did comment on the record, however, including Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies, who said, “Except for the fact that he’s lost a lot of weight, he’s the Steve Jobs of old. At the visionary level, technology and design level, he seems to be working at the same level as he was before he was sick. If I was an investor, I’d be thrilled.”
Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak told the magazine, “Every time I hear him, he’s doing a lot of work and a lot of thinking that’s involved in that work, and those things sort of go away if you’re very worried about your health.”