Lawyers and the SEC? I've heard nothing of lawyers or the SEC demanding information regarding the CEO's health.

The only people speculating and demanding disclosure are blowhard journalists and stock market manipulators. The basis for their "concern" is purely from an ignorant and amateur medical diagnosis based on pictures and video.

Hell, Senator Bill Frist was rightly admonished for performing a video diagnosis of Terri Shiavo and he has a medical school degree.

Why the hell should Apple's board respond to a bunch of chicken-little wankers in the tech and financial press?

Frankly, I admire Apple for not feeding the trolls.

I can't say that I agree with you. The "large part" of the blame lies with sensationalist journalists and stock price manipulators.

Name one other company where people demand they to go on record regarding the health of the CEO when some band of journalists decides to perform an amateur medical diagnosis based on photographs and videos.

Senator Bill Frist was rightly admonished for performing a "video diagnosis" of Terri Schiavo...and he has a medical school degree. Why should Apple respond when a bunch of blowhards with no medical training whatsoever do the same thing with Steve Jobs?

The board is required to divulge information about his health if it affects his ability to do his job. They are under no obligation to respond to nutjobs and market makers.

...and watch the stock crater tomorrow.

Unfortunately, ever since Jobs lost significant weight as a result of his surgery (an obligatory side effect for the type of surgery he had), MacWorld keynotes have become a "Steve Jobs Death Watch" for the press. Before, during and after the keynote, more ink is spent on speculations regarding his health than the product announcements.

I think one side benefit of Apple's abandoning MacWorld is the press can no longer turn it into a morbid event.