Apple Holds to Its Cash Hoard, Green Policies - Page 2

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Meanwhile, Jobs, who turned 55 on Wednesday, received numerous birthday wishes and calls to take care of himself -- a reminder that the Apple CEO had missed the previous year's shareholder meeting while out on a six-month medical leave. Jobs had received a liver transplant last year during his leave, capping years of sporadic poor health following a 2004 surgery for pancreatic cancer.

During the day's events, Jobs also received thanks from shareholders who have held the stock for a decade or more.

He also faced at least one question about whether Apple might return to MacWorld in some capacity. ("No," Jobs responded quickly.) The company had walked away from the trade show last year, preferring instead to focus on its own launch events.

Shareholders also asked about former board member and Google CEO Eric Schmidt, wanting to know whether he had been privy to secret materials.

Jobs responded that Schmidt, who stepped down from Apple's board last year, "conducted himself appropriately and recused himself when discussing things that might represent a conflict of interest."

Another shareholder noted the lack of women in Apple's corporate hierarchy and board of directors, and asked if "Al [Gore] thought of sharing his seat with Tipper," his wife -- to some laughs.

Jobs responded by saying that Apple is constantly on the lookout for more board members and that it promotes from within, both male and female. He did not mention by name Apple's newest board member, Avon CEO Andrea Jung.

Jobs on Apple product strategy and his biggest worry

Apple's CEO also broadly discussed product strategy, responding to a question about innovation at Apple that it would not become a maker of a wide variety of different products.

"Apple focuses on very few things and puts all of our wood behind those few things," Jobs said.

One shareholder asked what might become of Apple's desktop products, since Cook had made a comment at a recent Goldman Sachs conference that Apple is a "mobile device company."

Jobs said that he is not declaring the company a mobile device company; instead, customers are "voting for it with their dollars." MacBooks far outsell the iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Pro tower, for instance.

"They're telling us what they think is important," Jobs said.

When another shareholder asked Jobs what he fears the most -- what keeps him up at night -- he replied, "shareholder meetings." Once the laughter quieted down, he said stability in the world is his largest concern.

"People won't be looking to buy a laptop of they are worried about putting food on the table," he said.

Andy Patrizio is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of Internet.com, the network for technology professionals.