[publicfig]

I do think that last statement depends on how you're looking at each company's products. As often as the debate is set up as "Microsoft v. Apple", they are two different companies that aren't always directly competing. When Apple released the iPod, it didn't directly hurt Microsoft but built up Apple. Even the iPhone, while taking away from Windows Mobile, didn't do much to really stop Microsoft, but once again built a major market in an area that was typically focused in on as specialized. Apple wasn't competing directly with Microsoft at this time, it was competing around them. It wasn't until the iPad that Apple really hit a market where Microsoft was investing resources into with little return, and took potential growth from them.

I think that to say that Microsoft has the chance to retake Apple with the direction they're taking misses the core reason why Apple has become so big. Apple didn't build their company back up through competition, but through creation. That's not a statement saying that Apple was in their own bubble and not taking massive amounts of inspiration from others. It is saying that they as a company defined the market, leaving companies like Microsoft at a step behind no matter what. It's like Apple joining the gaming console market. Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony would have way too much of a lead to make it easy, and if they focus on developed markets they are going to be constantly fighting to keep up instead of pushing the fight forward.