Fortune just pushed an incredibly in-depth piece by Peter Elkind that investigates some rather controversial topics concerning Apple, Inc. CEO Steve Jobs. Concerns about Jobs’ preliminary steps to deal with his panceatic cancer, stock backdating and questions involving his future replacement are all examined with great detail and little bias. Despite his supposedly tyrannical rule over the company, it is obvious that Jobs is a brilliant inventor with his name on over 103 original Apple designs and has made a tech company (that is now worth more than Merck, McDonald’s and Goldman Sachs) into a pop culture icon.

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Update: Fortune has now published an interview with Steve Jobs about keys to the company’s success. Topics include the birth of the iPhone, Apple’s connection with the customer and methods to drive employees towards success.

I usually am right with my predictions but this year I’m seriously a little baffled. There is more hype than ever and a lot of speculation going on. In the end I just hope my stock goes up.

Here’s my final list:

• Talk of iPhone sales, mention of SDK (will save more for WWDC), release of 16GB iPhone and Steve will showcase the already leaked features of 1.1.3 update.
• New redesigned aluminum MacBook
• Slight possibility of an ultraportable MacBook (hopefully with built in AT&T 3G)
• One more thing: AppleTV 1.5 with ability to download direct from iTunes and introduction of movie rentals