Tongues are still wagging about Apple’s blowout quarter, which saw the company brush past Wall Street forecasts, sending its shares north of $200. But as Wall Street waited breathlessly for the latest iPhone numbers, it was the company’s Mac line that stole the headlines, posting blockbuster 17 percent unit growth.

So what was the deal with the iPhone? Unit shipments rose 7 percent to 7.4 million units, far from chopped liver but just below the consensus estimate. What? Apple missed? Well it wasn’t quite that simple. Seems the company simply couldn’t keep up with all the folks clamoring to get their hands on the latest model, the 3G S.

Apple COO TIm Cook called it “a nice problem to have in the scheme of things,” and called 3G S demand “phenomenal.” He said demand simply outstripped supply in most of the countries where it was selling the device.

“We did improve supply markedly in September, and supply and demand converged in the vast majority of countries, either in September or in early October…we now have about 2.4 million units in the channel and that’s an additional 585,000 from the previous quarter end.”

When asked whether he was comfortable with that level, given the upcoming China launch, Cook said “I would have liked to have had more, honestly, because we were still short in some countries at quarter end.”

Cook was also asked about the wave of new smartphones that are coming onto the market. A new Android device from Verizon and Motorola has recently been taking shots at Apple in new ads.

“Frankly, I think that people are really just trying to catch up with the first iPhone that was announced two years ago, and we’ve long since moved beyond that,” Cook replied.

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs told the world Wednesday that he discovered that his health issues are more complex than he had previously thought, so he’s taking a medical leave of absence. Jobs, who earlier this month said his recent weight loss was caused by a hormonal imbalance that was relatively easy to treat, plans to be off until the end of June. Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook will mind the shop in the interim. Once Apple shares resumed trading after-hours, investors knocked off about 10 percent of their value.

Here’s a quick roundup of what we found online about these latest developments (And of course, here’s the Reuters story before we get to the other ones):

Silicon Alley Insider:

Tim Cook should do fine as Apple’s interim day-to-day leader. He took control of the company last time Steve went on a leave of absence to treat his pancreatic cancer. Steve says he plans to “remain involved in major strategic decisions” while he is out.

Gizmodo (saying it was right all along for posting a rumor on its blog about this very subject in recent weeks, a blog that other reporters chopped into a million itty bitty pieces):

What’s interesting is that while we broke the rumor of Steve being sick a few weeks ago, and speculated that he was resigning months ago, peers at CNBC and All Things D and others were not convinced, because it was hinging on one particular source. Apparently, they believe the story now and are both moving quickly to report it. The letter above clearly notes that his health issues are more complex than previously thought, but his reasons for stepping down include the fact that stories about his health distract the company from doing its core work.

The Wall Street Journal (providing background):

Last week’s disclosure came on the eve of the Macworld trade show, which he had attended every year since 1997. Last month, Mr. Jobs said he wouldn’t give the keynote speech at the conference and Apple would no longer participate after this year. At the time, Apple said he wouldn’t appear because it was cutting down on trade show activities, but the decision spurred new speculation about Mr. Jobs’s health.

Bloomberg (providing way-back background on why Jobs and Apple are intertwined from many investors’ points of view):

Jobs, who co-founded Apple in 1976, returned as CEO in 1997 and transformed the money-losing maker of Macintosh computers. His focus on stylish design and simple-to-use gadgets won over millions of buyers, turning Apple’s iPod media player and iPhone into best sellers. Jobs, who had successful surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2004, appeared thinner at Apple events last year.

And finally, a Paul Chapel commenting on the Engadget blog about Jobs’s importance to the world:

Get well, Steve, and thank you for the MacBook Pro I got over Christmas. That thing has helped me meet more girls at Starbucks than what would have been possible otherwise. Look forward to seeing what you have prepared for us in June.