Apple's Steve Jobs announced yesterday that he will be taking a leave of absence until June. Apple will be under the leadership of Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer since 2005. Jobs will remain as CEO, and will be involved in major strategic decisions while Cook will oversee day-to-day operations, as he has been doing for years. Cook was hired by Jobs in 1998, and has a long history with the industry, and with Apple. Cook is likely most familiar because of his participation in the quarterly conference calls held for the benefit of investors.

Jobs' health has been an obsession for Apple watchers since 2004, when he was treated for pancreatic cancer. The current health problem, which Jobs describes as "more complex than I originally thought" may be related to surgical complications, or a re-occurrence of the cancer.

It looks very much to me as if public speculation about Jobs' personal health has had a detrimental effect, forcing Jobs to go public— again, with something that he has a right to keep private. Frankly, if, as much of the speculation assumes, his cancer has returned, he deserves peace and sympathy and the basic privacy and dignity any of us would want in a similar situation.

Apple's stock took a fall yesterday, after the close-of-market announcement. There are some rumblings about an investor suit, alleging that Apple withheld information from stockholders. I do think that Apple will be OK, with or without Steve Jobs, but I am hopeful for his recovery, and that he and his family can regain a modicum of privacy and dignity.