Step back from the ledge, Mac-o-philes.
Apple's recent announcement that Steve Jobs will not appear at this year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco has sent shockwaves through cyberspace and world markets in recent days.
Amid the obvious and endless speculation about Jobs' health, many are making an effort to figure out why the company came to this decision, and where it may go from here.
Tgdaily.com points out the fact that the announcement, although a shock -- should not have been. Apple is not, as much as people are fond of saying, one man.
In 2007, Jobs took top billing at four product announcements. This year it was three. He has at no time said he would stop all speaking engagements completely, and in fact, is expected to continue them.
Computerworld says the main issue at hand is that Apple has been trying to move away from trade shows steadily over the last few years.
This is partly because the company hopes to serve a niche market less and move further into the mainstream, analysts say.
Meanwhile, AppleInsider.com quotes an analyst from Piper Jaffray who says he believes "a leadership shift is underway."
Many other sites have turned their investigative attention towards exactly what effect the loss of Macworld over the long term will mean for Apple's partners.
And in what appears to be a fitting point, SFGate mentions that Steve Jobs didn't actually attend the first Macworld either.
Some might call that a fitting way to bookend Apple's time spent at the Moscone Center.
