Apple Inc.’s final appearance at the Macworld trade show is kicking off this morning in San Francisco, with marketing chief Phil Schiller taking the stage to deliver the keynote address to the assembled crowd of Apple fanatics and media types.

Of course, the biggest news ahead of Macworld focused on what wouldn’t be there, namely CEO Steve Jobs and his keynote, possibly the single most closely-watched speech of the year in the tech industry. The company announced in December that Jobs would not be speaking at Macworld, touching off a wave of rumors about his health that were at least partly answered yesterday by Jobs’ explanation about a hormone imbalance.

The buzz factor heading into  been decidedly muted, and expectations are fairly low as far as exciting new product announcements go. Still, there is no short of interest and curiosity. And since Apple is famously unpredictable, a surprise announcement - or appearance - is never out of the question.

(Picture: Reuters)