Comments on: Which company is more successful: Apple or Microsoft?

Readers weigh in on which computer company has had the bigger impact on the tech industry.

[ServedUp]

Definitely Microsoft, if your speaking money.

Lets face it, Microsoft is the Walmart of Software. They put
knock-off- bare- bones software out for the masses, that just
get the job done which people are generally pleased with (virus
and malware issues aside).

But if your looking for quality of software and user experience
with innovativeness, hands down its Apple! Lately they've just
been working really hard to turn their bad image (as a less
attractive choice for consumers) around in the industry. And
people are turning heads again. The products they are coming
out with are so far ahead of any current Windows PC. One thing
to note though, is it will be one foot in the grave for Microsoft if
Apple ever decides to license Mac OS X to other PC
manufacturers. Without a doubt Microsoft has to get Vista right
the first time, because OS X Tiger is so impressive it just blows
XP to pieces.

[Mendz]

Microsoft vs. Apple

Apple and Microsoft's successes are not easy to compare because (1)they sell different products: Apple software is bound to it's own hardware versus Microsoft software which runs on publicly cloneable hardware; and (2) they target different customers: Apple products appeal mostly to consumers while Microsoft targets consumer and business customers alike.

* Innovation-wise, Apple is successful.

Apple proves to invent and innovate not just on technology (iMac, iPod) but also on services (iTunes). They have the right to say that Windows is "legacy" because their Mac for example is the first to have the best features possible not available in other OS.

* Market-wise, Microsoft is successful.

Unfortunaely, Apple's innovations target consumers but not strongly business customers.

The success to market favors Microsoft because of the popularity and availability of (1) hardware for their software and (2) software for their software. Besides being already ahead in the consumer market, Microsoft also has a steady growth in the business market.

Unless Apple can prove its worth to business customers (like Linux can), Apple can only rely on the consumer market. But since most PC sales worldwide are driven by business customers, Apple has a lot of work to increase its market share.

Business-wise, both are successful.

[anoldun]

Microsoft today, ultimately Apple!

Microsoft may be the most successful company at this moment in
time, but the war is not over yet!. If it had not been for Apple,
Microsoft as we know it today may never have existed, they have
Apple to thank for their success, look at the facts: it was the two
Steves' success with the Apple II that stung IBM into producing a
PC, albeit an inferior copy with off-the-shelf components. It was
this that launched Microsoft upon their career of stealing every
good idea that came out of Cupertino!

[JordanBOB]

Here is what I think

From a buisiness perspective Microsoft has always been better. But when it comes to inovation Apple is the best.

[waynoworlater]

More Successful???

My best bet for the more successful is Microsoft. But really, neither companies have had good runs on nothing but one product. The iPod for Apple, and Windows for Microsoft. Without the iPod, Apple would be skimming on bankruptcy, and without Windows, Microsoft would be dead...So Apple needs to step up its advertising, definitely better get kicking with the Intel junk (hint:don't bash intels business with microsoft in commercials for Apple), and Bring out that new special 30th anniversary Video-dedicated ipod. -- Micrososft..Fix Vista, however long it takes you, just fix it...You can't afford another bomb of an operating system...seriously, take your time! Which is more important, pretty oe performance...the 2nd one..Trust me!!! good Luck.

[Bro.Bob]

Microsoft is more succesful like or not!

I think some things are being over looked and we give both companies
credit for way more then they do!
Apple stole pull down menus and graphical user interface from Xerox that did not know what they had!
Microsoft was trying to get IBM that helped Apple and always has to this day
to except a software OS that run on a what is known now as the PC!
They could not see people using computers at home Bill gates and Steve Jobs
could see this coming and whole lot more.
Bill went with software that is the mainstream use to this day 95% use windows he was weak in the hardware department and that is where
Steve Jobs comes in with Apple.taking about 5% of sales compared to
PC and that is with I-pod sales that are dropping fast as we speak!

Bill Gates has had dream to have multimedia center in every Home and
and HP and other manufactures are helping make this happen!
that is why he came out with new OS in 05 for XP did not hear lot talk
about it like the Apple I-pod that I hear every day talked about here.
sales are better in the PC market still most new sales are notebooks
again Apple sales less power books any of the others in the hardware
business!
With Ogg vorbis formats getting better in sound quality and being able to
play on any player except I-pod this may change things for Apple!
will see what happens Jobs don't blow it like you did with the I-Mac.

If I had to say who is and has the most going for it not Apple or Microsoft.
who has the bigger Market share and and has for more then 30 years
Microsoft bar none is more succesful the numbers speak loud and clear always have!!!

[Bro.Bob]

Microsoft is more succesful like or not!

I think some things are being over looked and we give both companiescredit for way more then they do!
Apple stole pull down menus and graphical user interface from Xerox that did not know what they had!
Microsoft was trying to get IBM that helped Apple and always has to this day to except a software OS that run on a what is known now as the PC!
They could not see people using computers at home Bill gates and Steve Jobs could see this coming and whole lot more.
Bill went with software that is the mainstream use to this day 95% use windows he was weak in the hardware department and that is where
Steve Jobs comes in with Apple.taking about 5%of sales compared to PC and that is with I-pod sales that are dropping fast as we speak!

Bill Gates has had dream to have multimedia center in every Home and and HP and other manufactures are helping make this happen!
that is why he came out with new OS in 05 for XP did not hear lot talk about it like the Apple
I-pod that I hear every day talked about here.
sales are better in the PC market still most new sales are notebooks again Apple sales less power books any of the others in the hardware business!

With Ogg vorbis formats getting better in sound quality and being able to play on any player except I-pod this may change things for Apple!
will see what happens Jobs don't blow it like you did with the I-Mac.

If I had to say who is and has the most going for it not Apple or Microsoft.
who has the bigger Market share and and has for more then 30 years Microsoft bar none is more succesful the numbers speak loud and clear always have!!!

[Gary the Mac Guy]

It's all in the timing.

The fact that the question is even being asked today weighs to
Apple's benefit.

There is no question which company has been most successful
over the past 22 years. Microsoft parlayed a mediocre OS into an
empire. After 86ing OS-2, which IBM hadn't a clue what to do
with (MS had rights to the code if IBM chose not to contiue), it
was clear sailing. But now the chickens have come home to
roost, and MS is having to deal with 20 years of legacy baggage.

MS can thank John Scully for its success. Scully, who previously
had taken PepsiCola from No. 2 to No. 2 in the soft drink wars,
made the 1984 decision to remove the Macintosh from the retail
consumer market. At the same time, he dumped the Apple IIgs
-- a more capable machine than the IBM PS/2, which would not
appear for another 5 years -- and cut off support for the 10
MILLION strong Apple II user base. Had Scully not effectively
abandoned the personal computer market to IBM "clones," it is
likely that MS's fortunes would have been much darker.

Today, Apple is driving the personal computing industry,
introducing features and functionality that later become
available on PCs. Jobs' vision of a complete digital lifestyle has
captured the imaginations of and ennabled a growing body of
users.

Apple's user base may never match that of MS, but market share
is not the sole measure of success. Jobs' Apple Computer is an
agent of change -- a change in the way people look at
computers. Given that Apple breaks sales records very year
selling nominally more expensive hardware, I'd argue that Apple
ist the most successful in 2006.