Even though it was a working day, and it was a Monday to boot, and on top of that it was a really tough start to the week–I somehow managed to watch Ars Technica’s excellent live blog coverage of today’s WWDC which sounds like it should be a radio station but isn’t in this case. (Actually there is a WWDC radio in Washington, DC–an early home of Howard Stern years ago, but we digress.)

No, in this case, WWDC is shorthand for the World Wide Developer’s Conference of Apple Computer. Why it is important to the devoted followers of all things Apple, is that the company uses the keynote address of the conference to make big announcements about the stuff we will soon be emptying our bank accounts for.

(Except those whiners who keep making those insipid Microsoft commercials, like Lauren, Giampaolo, and that really annoying kid and his Mom. Sure, someone offers you free money for a laptop and you might buy something running Vista too.)

The rumor mill about what might be announced at today’s keynote was running about as flat out as a meth lab next to a state penal institution. The Apple faithful were looking for everything from a low priced Mac laptop (if only to battle back the sense that Microsoft’s latest ads had finally put a dent in the undeniable cultural shorthand of Apple’s long running “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” campaign) to the triumphant return of the recently ailing CEO from Cupertino, Steve Jobs.

They got a good bit of the former and no sign of the latter.

I was hoping to see Mr. Jobs too, as I’ve been reading the book by Leander Kahney, Inside Steve’s Brain which is an interesting look into the Apple co-founder’s approach to doing business and the corporate culture that he restored to the company that has brought us the iMac, the iPod, and the iPhone since his return from exile.

Jobs’ recent bout with medical issues that has sidelined him from making these keynote addresses every six months or so has been tough to take, both out of genuine concern for the man’s well-being as well as for the future well-being of the company which has changed the way so many people look at personal technology, including yours truly.

Today’s keynote was pinch-delivered by Phil Schiller, who has often played an Andy Richter-like second banana to Jobs’ Conan O’Brien-esque starring role in these things. Schiller did a serviceable job, but we all wanted to see the man who has made Black mock turtlenecks and Levis jeans his own corporate fashion trademark.

Aside from the latest news on the update to the OS X Mac operating system, codenamed “Snow Leopard” in keeping with Apple’s recent tradition of naming updates after large cats, and new specs and lower prices for most of the Mac laptop line (though not low enough to squelch the bogus Windows claims that there is an “Apple Luxury Tax” in paying more for the higher specs and quality that Macs have long been famous for), the most anticipated news was about the anticipated third generation of the hardware and software of the iPhone.

Apple blogging maven (and personal favorite) John Gruber of the great website Daring Fireball nailed the calls over the weekend on what was announced today, a new model iPhone called the iPhone 3GS. Apple can say the “s” is for speed all it wants, long time Apple fans can appreciate the homage to the upgraded model of the iconic Apple II computer, dubbed the IIGS. (Aside from perhaps being unfortunately identified as a relative to that weird “MacGruber” character on SNL, Gruber’s predictions were so right on his sources must be hard-wired into the super-secret, no comment ever, KGB-like secrecy that surrounds my favorite computer maker.)

My take is that the new iPhone 3GS is an incremental upgrade in most of the sense, with many features that have been asked for (well, pretty much demanded) since the first iPhone burst on the scene two years ago. Improved speed, better camera, videocam ability (with editing built into the phone) and voice control to name a few.

Other features like cut and paste and MMS messaging (text messages with pictures) are part of the new 3.0 iPhone software, which will be available for all iPhone models. Biggest headline was that Apple will sell the base model iPhone 3G (basically last years model) for 99 bucks. No BS rebates, or whatever–save for whatever onerous multi-year contract that the cell phone company will require you to sign. (And boy there is some special venom already boiling up for US iPhone carrier AT&T, who is stiffing us iPhone fans big time on upgrade pricing, tethering and MMS support.)

So while there was an awful lot to take in from a Jobs-less keynote and if like me, you weren’t in the audience at WWDC, you can now watch the whole thing for yourself by pointing your web browser–and yeah, Apple released a new version of it’s Safari browser today too–by pointing it to the on-demand streaming video available here.

While I’m tickled by the bounty of new tech toys that I would love to have for my very own, I do have to admit to being a bit underwhelmed by today’s keynote. Maybe it just isn’t the same without Chairman Steve on the stage (get well soon, man), or maybe there wasn’t something as totally awesome as in year’s past.

Or maybe, just maybe, I’m just so spoiled by what Apple hath wrought before that I won’t be blown away by anything short of an iProtonParticleAccelerator.