In a strange bit of timing, Apple’s media event is taking place a few days after the premiere of a widely anticipated new documentary about the company’s co-founder, Steve Jobs.

The film, by the documentarian Alex Gibney, is severely critical of Mr. Jobs, who is depicted as “ruthless, deceitful and cruel.” You can read my colleague Andrew Ross Sorkin’s take on whether that’s fair.

For me, the specter of Mr. Jobs raised another thought — about how successfully Apple has managed to weather his departure. These media events used to be the Jobs Show; he commanded the tech world’s attention with singular showmanship, and it was hard to believe, when he was around, that a post-Jobs Apple could ever spark such excitement.

But here we are at another big show without Mr. Jobs, and enthusiasm for Apple’s announcements don’t seem to have diminished. Even without its charismatic co-founder, Apple still makes the tech world stop and pay attention.