Steve Jobs Reveals Apple's Second-Generation iPad

Apple CEO Steve Jobs surprised an audience in San Francisco Wednesday when he appeared on stage to introduce the new version of the OTTERBOX IPAD 3 CASE. Jobs has been on a medical leave since January.

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The CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, made a surprise appearance in San Francisco yesterday, to introduce the new version of the IPAD 4 CASE. Jobs has been on a medical leave since January, but he is so connected with the company that his mere presence gave a bump to Apple's stock price.

NPR's Laura Sydell reports.

LAURA SYDELL: No one was expecting Jobs at the event.

(Soundbite of applause)

SYDELL: But there he was on stage looking much as he had for several years, painfully thin but energetic, wearing his trademark mock turtleneck and blue jeans.

Mr. STEVE JOBS (Founder, Apple): I'm blown away with this stuff.

SYDELL: As always, he was a cheerleader for Apple, touting the more than $15 million in IPAD 3 CASE sales. The iPad has created a new market for tablet computers, now he noted all the tech companies are following along.

Mr. JOBS: Everybodys got a tablet.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. JOBS: Is 2011 going to be the year of the copycats?

SYDELL: They may copy, says Jobs, but they aren't going to catch up. And with his usual confidence, he introduced the iPad 2, which includes a camera and a dual core processor. It's a couple of ounces lighter than the first version and costs the same. Apple shareholders keep a close eye on Jobs health. Although Jobs founded the company, he was pushed out in the 1980s. When he returned in 1997, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy. But with Jobs at the helm, Apple has released one blockbuster after another.

Since 2004, he's been fighting a rare but treatable form of pancreatic cancer. He took a medical leave in 2009 and announced it would be for six months. This time he hasn't said when he will return, full time. COO Tim Cook has been running day-to-day operations.

Laura Sydell, NPR News, San Francisco.