Stay at Home, Steve Jobs

This RealMoney column is being posted as a bonus for TheStreet.com readers. Click here for a free trial, and enjoy incisive commentary all day, every day.

Apple's (AAPL Quote) Phil Schiller provides the keynote address at MacWorld today at 9:00 a.m. PST (12:00 p.m. EST). The expectations are very low for revolutionary new products. Expect updates to the iMac and the Mac mini and a sneak preview of Snow Leopard, the latest version of Apple's operating system. These types of announcements are seen as getting back to the Mac roots since the show is MacWorld.

The big news is talk that Steve Jobs is going to make a cameo at the end of the keynote. Yes, it would be nice to see Steve on the stage where he wowed people for years, introducing sleek new products that brought Apple back to life. The audience at MacWorld would be certain to send up a major round of applause for Steve, but this would just further raise the issue that Apple's fortunes are directly tied to Mr. Jobs and that the company is under the tight grip of its founder and CEO.

Given all the talk about Apple's deep bench of management, why not let Phil Schiller carry the day? In fact, if Apple was serious about showcasing that the company is much more than Steve Jobs, let Phil introduce a flashy, new product such as a $99 iPhone. ...