As if we didn’t see this one coming… The idea of Macworld with no Steve Jobs caused Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to shed almost 7% of its stock quote yesterday as investors were spooked, believing that the company would fail to deliver a major product announcement at the conference, and that the Cupertino Guru may be (again) facing health issues.

The computer manufacturer’s shares fell %6.27 on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, closing at $89.16. The investors were clearly worried by the company’s announcement that not only would CEO Steve Jobs not attend, as per usual, the 2009 Macworld Conference & Expo but that Apple would not be attending any more shows after that.

Steve Jobs’ health remains an item of worry for fans and shareholders of the company alike, who remember that it took Jobs almost a year to reveal his diagnose of pancreatic cancer in 2003.

The company, as well as Jobs himself continue to stress that he is currently free from cancer. Nevertheless, Jobs’ rather gaunt appearance at a developers’ conference in June sparked an explosion of speculation in regards to his death, which was in the eyes of doomsayers confirmed by the Tuesday announcement.

Yair Reiner, an analyst for Oppenheimer, said that the reasons for Jobs’ decision to pull a no-show at the 2009 Macworld (followed by the whole company doing the same thing) are most likely “purely commercial.”

He adds however that the cancelation is a reminder that the public knows nothing about his health or any potential succession plans, as Jobs’ departure (one way or another) could leave they company in chaos.

Shannon Cross, analyst for Cross Research, says that it’s possible that Apple simply does not have any worthwhile product announcements to make at the show, as Jobs is traditionally known to announce new Apple products at his popular Macworld keynotes.

Cross adds that she believes it is important that the company make the executive available to journalists and investors next year, if only to placate any possible concerns.

A very likely possibility may also then be that the greatest surprise to hit the masses at the Macworld expo in January will indeed be jobs himself. Whether it is something related to his health and well being, or whether he will announce that he is stepping down from the leadership of the company, any such news will very likely eclipse any and all product surprises Apple may have readied for the exposition. Come to think of it, if Jobs did have such a shocking announcement to make about himself, it would then make more sense that he step back from the spotlight and let the event run its course, and the company’s eventual new products get their due attention, after which proceed and make the announcement.

Whether it is about the product or the man, we’ll be keeping an eye on the Apple in the near future and we’ll let you know anything we find out as soon as we do.