Apple Shareholders Meet Behind Closed Doors, Steve Jobs Absent For First Time Since '97

UPDATE: Apple on Wednesday defended it's disclosure last month of Jobs' health status.

Jobs is also still planning to return to the helm in June, the company said.

Apple's shareholder meeting on Wednesday is being held behind closed doors. The lack of transparency--there will be no streaming of the event on its website and attendants are forbidden from carrying any communications devices, even iPhones--seems to be par for the course for the company recently.

Seems you can get a peek inside the shareholder meeting via an iVillage message board (registration required.) Fortune has also posted some of the message board here.

The company fielded waves of complaints from critics who were angered by the lack of information released about the health of Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs.

According to Bloomberg, the lack of disclosure is alienating longtime shareholders.

Scott Grannis, for example, bought his first Apple shares in 2001 for $9.25 each:

"Even being a fan of Apple, I wish they would've been a little more forthright," said Grannis, 59, the former chief economist at Western Asset Management Co. in Pasadena, California. "I've felt slighted. I've felt disappointed."

Wednesday's meeting will also be the first shareholder gathering without Jobs since 1997. Despite his lack of presence, however, shareholders might still be able to ask him questions.

As for Apple's stock, it is rising despite receiving a downgrade on Tuesday.

In mid-day trading it was up 1.5% to about $91.60 a share.