Steve Jobs lights up Apple show

Technology reporter, BBC News, San Francisco

Mr Jobs was greeted with cheers and applause when he took to the stage

Apple boss Steve Jobs stole the show at an event to launch new products as he took to the stage for the first time in nearly a year following medical leave.

Mr Jobs returned to work at the end of June after taking a six month break to recover from a liver transplant.

After a long summer of speculation¹ about what would roll off the Apple production line, the products took second billing to Mr Jobs' appearance.

"I'm vertical（垂直） and I'm back," joked Mr Jobs at a press event in San Francisco.

As the audience rose to give him a standing² ovation³ and cheer his return, the notoriously private Mr Jobs talked briefly⁴ about the operation he received at a hospital in Tennessee.

"As some of you may know, about five months ago I had a liver transplant," he told the crowd of press, analysts⁶ and invited guests.

"So I have the liver of a mid⁷-20's person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs. I wouldn't be here without such generosity⁹."

Dressed in his perennial¹⁰ uniform of blue jeans and a black turtle neck, and looking perhaps a bit thinner than usual, the technology mogul urged everyone to follow suit and become organ donors¹¹.

"In charge"

Weeks before the company's event dubbed¹² "It's only rock n roll and we like it," the rumour¹³ mill had gone into over-drive about whether or not Mr Jobs would attend given the attention his health has attracted.

The issue has been seen as a major distraction¹⁴ for the company.

The product announcements were seen as a bit of a let down by some

Many believed that this was one engagement Mr Jobs could not afford to miss given that the company's share price has risen and fallen in the past on reports of his health.

"Today it was all about Steve Jobs," Gene⁸ Munster, a senior analyst⁵ with Piper Jaffray & Co told the BBC.

"Users and investors¹⁵ of Apple adore Steve Jobs and the fact that he was here is really a statement that he is in charge and he is an active part of the company. That is the most important takeaway," said Mr Munster.

That was a view echoed by Barclays Capital analyst Ben Reitzes.

"We believe it is positive that Jobs is healthy and enthusiastic（热心） enough to lead Apple, which is an important element of the short- and long-term investment cases for Apple," Mr Reitzes wrote in a research note to clients.

Although investors typically sell Apple stock after a launch event, he said the presentation should be seen as a "warm-up" for a "re-engaged Steve Jobs."

While Apple's shares have doubled in value since the start of the year, they fell 0.9% on the day to $171.41 (£105).

Products

Mr Jobs did not dwell on the issue of his own health for very long. Minutes after the show kicked off, the Apple boss got down to business.

The chief executive debuted¹⁶ a new iPod Nano with a built-in video camera, FM tuner and voice recorder ranging from $149-$179 (£92-£110).

The new iPod Nano with video camera comes in all colours of the rainbow

Mr Jobs called the Nano "the most popular music player in the world" with over 100m sold to date. The company revealed that as a whole, it has sold more than 220 million iPods and now commands 73.8% of the market compared to Microsoft's 1.1%.

Apple also lowered the prices of existing iPods and introduced a new 32GB and 64GB iPod Touch that promises to run faster than previous models.

Mr Jobs then turned the spotlight¹⁷ on a revamped iTunes programme that includes app management, home sharing and the ability to buy lyrics¹⁸, memorabilia and liner notes through an iTunes LP music feature.

"I think it's really cool, but iTunes LP isn't going to sell albums," said analyst Michael Gartenberg of Interpet.

"Good music will sell albums. Still, it's nice we are getting back some of the stuff we lost with the CD," he told Wired.com

Mr Jobs said that iTunes is now the world's number one music retailer¹⁹ with 100 million registered users.

"Disappointment"

At the end of the day, the products the company unveiled left some feeling underwhelmed.

"The common sentiment everyone always feels after an Apple press conference is a sense of delight at some of the cool things but also some disappointment that all of the wildly crazy rumours²⁰ didn't come true," Dean Takahashi of Venturebeat.com told BBC News.

The award winning Norah Jones performed two songs at the event

"So that meant no Apple tablet and no Beatles heading to the iTunes store. I did think there were a couple of cool things like the iPod Nano camera. You almost expect them to come up with something more innovative（创新） but there was no big wow moment," said Mr Takahashi.

"It was kind of a non event," Piper Jaffray's Mr Munster said.

" It was all about the iPod today and in terms of competition they are still running away with the show. Our biggest question is what is going to happen in the next six months. The Apple Tablet is what we want to hear about and it's going to address this mid market as people look for portability with their computing²¹.

"This is a niche²² they really need to address in the coming months," said Mr Munster. (本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 ovation   

n.欢呼，热烈欢迎，热烈鼓掌

参考例句：

• The hero received a great ovation from the crowd. 那位英雄受到人群的热烈欢迎。
• The show won a standing ovation. 这场演出赢得全场起立鼓掌。

4 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

5 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

8 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

9 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

10 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

11 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 rumour   

n.谣言，谣传，传闻

参考例句：

• I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。
• There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。

14 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

15 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

16 debuted   

初次表演，初次登台（debut的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• In late 2003 a full-size SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, debuted. 2003年末，全尺寸SUV的探路者无敌舰队，推出。
• The album debuted at number two and quickly went platinum. 专辑一亮相就荣登排行榜第二名，很快就取得了白金销量。

17 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

18 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

19 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

20 rumours   

n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传

参考例句：

• The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。
• Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

21 computing   

n.计算

参考例句：

• to work in computing 从事信息处理
• Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代（约1980年），他们就创办了软件公司。

22 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。