Steve Jobs looks very thin

Although it was good to see that Apple might finally be staging a significant assault on the enterprise with the 3G iPhone, the one thing that struck me immediately from Steve Jobs's latest product launch is how thin he is looking.

There is speculation on the web (isn't there always) that Jobs weight loss could be anything from the return of the pancreatic cancer he was diagnosed with in 2004, to the results of a strict vegan diet. Some rather black humour, (if illness is the cause) has also suggested that Jobs has simply adopted the thinner strategy that he seems to apply to all of Apple's products.

Jobs as he was at the World Wide Developers conference in 2007

Jobs on stage at this year's event.

Whatever the reality, and we very much hope this is diet-related, the hard truth is that given the way Apple is managed, Mr Jobs' health is a matter of public interest. If he was to leave the company for any reason it would have a massive impact on Apple and its shareholders. Media reports following the notification Jobs gave the Apple board around his cancer diagnosis appear to indicate that he was not as forthcoming as some would have hoped – and even chose to explore alternative treatments for a significant time before finally relenting and listening to the advice of conventional clinicians.