Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the stage at an event on Wednesday to introduce new iPod products, his first public appearance after taking a long medical leave of absence.
Jobs earlier this year took a six-month leave of absence from the company because of health issues. He received a liver transplant at the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. He returned to work on schedule at the end of June.
“I’m back at Apple, loving every day of it,” Jobs said during a speech at the event. He sported a slim look, but said he was in good health and already working to introduce new products. He received a big round of applause from the audience after showing up on stage.
When explaining his leave of absence earlier this year, Jobs said he was diagnosed with a hormone imbalance that caused him to lose weight. The health-related issues were “more complex” than he originally thought, Jobs wrote in a memo to Apple employees at the time. However, questions remained about whether Apple revealed the full extent of his health condition.
Apple’s chief operating officer, Tim Cook, took charge of day-to-day operations in Jobs’ absence.
Jobs’ presence in Apple’s daily activities should ease questions in investors’ minds. Earlier, investors questioned Apple’s decision to hold back information surrounding Jobs’ medical condition. Prominent businessman Warren Buffett attracted attention when he disagreed with Apple for not releasing what he considered a “material fact” for the company.
Jobs is also a survivor of pancreatic cancer.