It’s been 3 weeks since Steve Jobs died. The response in the press has been much more substantial than I expected, partially fueled by the lead-up to and release of the Walter Isaacson biography. It’s no doubt, though, that the loss is felt most strongly by Apple fans. This is not because of any personal attachment to Steve. We didn’t know him, or really even what he was like. It is important what he represented.

The mid-90s were a tough time for Apple fans – the company was regularly referred to in the press as “beleaguered”, and the general perception was of a company in the last throes of a prolonged decline. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, there was still one event which could bring home: the annual Macworld Expo. Apple regularly announced major products at these conferences, and each year there was the hope that a killer product, something that could restore the company to its former glory, would emerge. It never did, though, and I often debated about jumping ship (ironically enough, the alternative platform I flirted most with was the NeXT).

When you’re a kid, it’s easy to get excited about an event like a birthday, or a holiday like Christmas. This year could bring a really cool new toy. As you get older, these events lose some of their luster, and serve more as a mere marker of the passing years. This is what Macworld Expos were beginning to feel like.

Then Steve returned and the Expos became exciting again. The new products were actually interesting. Before the rumor sites got so aggressive, we’d often have no idea what would be in store for us. Those of us excited by technology actually had new things to be excited about. It restored that childhood Christmas. When he was bearded and before his dramatic weight loss, Jobs even began to look a bit like Santa Claus. Eventually, the Expos gave way to more unpredictably timed Apple events, but in a way it was more exciting, because any week could bring Christmas.

There will certainly be more products from Apple. What’s less clear is whether that same magic will be there.

Who will show up next time? A new Santa, or just some guy in a Santa costume?