Apple knocks down Microsoft in the near Future?

[sioannou]

At this point I'd like to say that despite I love apple's products I am not a fanboy and actually I use both worlds in my life and i believe that microsoft has also offered a lot in technology. I post in this forum because I believe there are people here with serious opinions , so please avoid fanboy's posts

So, I believe that Apple in the last years is becoming a serious competitor to Microsoft and day by day is achieving bigger margins for it's products. Is truth that Apple always has been somekind of an elite brand. Despite it's products are somehow expensive compared with pc's offer excellent quality and customer support.

But do you guys believe that in the near future Apple could become what is Microsoft now? I mean selling more products than Microsoft or at least equal to , and becoming the major company in technology? I don't know but i think that apple is not trying to achieve that , it likes the idea that is a company for the few .

I'd really appreciate some serious thoughts on this, and I am looking forward to learn what do you guys think. (sorry if i posted in a wrong section).

 

[neko girl]

No.

 

[Inara]

No, but Apple can keep the lead on The tablet market, which is the post-pc device. Selling more pc than MS? Definitely not

 

[BornAgainMac]

It won't happen overall. Just look at Blackberry.

 

[Robellyn]

If anything, I think Apple and Microsoft are becoming more divergent as the years go by: and if they are not running the same race, I don't think you need to be watching for a 'winner'.

 

[Ccrew]

So, I believe that Apple in the last years is becoming a serious competitor to Microsoft and day by day is achieving bigger margins for it's products.

In the consumer space. They not only can't hold a candle in the enterprise space, but they're bailing on the foothold that they did try to get when they came out with the xserve.

While I think that they can justifiably pull market share from the consumer space, I don't see them making inroads into the server or enterprise application space which is where MS's bread and butter (and revenue stream) is located.

MS has a poor history of consumer space items. Look at all the places they've tried and failed, or been so late to the game that they were insignificant. Only their keyboard\mouse business and the Xbox have been notably solid. Zune is a great service, that will stay to support Windows phones, while the player hardware will die. Shame actually, as the ZuneHD hardware was absolutely beautiful, but just way late to the game.

Next version of the MS Phone OS has promise if they don't manage to bungle it.

 

[alent1234]

MS had it's growth streak in the 1990's. Apple is growing now. at some point the iphone/ipad market will stop growing and apple's stock price will plummet.

this usually happens when the tech cycle changes. 10 years ago it went from PC centric to device centric. smartphones are in the process of becoming a commodity. tablets is a maybe.

in the next few years we'll probably start to see the start of a new tech cycle where a new class of devices or services will command high margins and grow at ridiculous rates. most times the existing companies don't go into new markets because it will cannibalize existing sales.

 

[Eidorian]

Maybe if I can run all of my old Windows software under OS X...

 

[*LTD*]

Over the next 5-7 years we'll be witnessing the decline of MS.

MS has already laid the groundwork for it. It's been in the cards for years.

 

[Legion93]

Clearly, yes. It's Gates!

 

[AppleScruff1]

Over the next 5-7 years we'll be witnessing the decline of MS.

MS has already laid the groundwork for it. It's been in the cards for years.

The one who sees the future has spoken. What happens if Apple tanks now that Steve won't be there as he has been in the past?

 

[maflynn]

No company can or will stay on top for very long.

At some point apple will falter. Maybe it will be a slow slide like Sony, maybe they'll falter and fail to innovate new products like Lotus. Maybe they'll use their market presence to affect competitors and thus be under the eye of the government like MS. Any way you slice it, apple at some point will not be number 1.

Will that be in 1 year, 5 years or 10 years. Its anyone's guess.

 

[*LTD*]

The one who sees the future has spoken. What happens if Apple tanks now that Steve won't be there as he has been in the past?

They won't. Just sit back and enjoy.

 

[CalBoy]

If anything, I think Apple and Microsoft are becoming more divergent as the years go by: and if they are not running the same race, I don't think you need to be watching for a 'winner'.

Indeed.

Microsoft's core business remains selling software. They have had a few successful ventures outside of this core area, but nothing that has been so durable as software sales. Ultimately this is because Microsoft's philosophy has been about delivering a template that can be adapted to nearly unlimited ends. This has obvious benefits because it allows people to use the software however they need to. The obvious downside is that quality can't be controlled very well because the degree of variability is so high.

Apple, on the other hand, has always focused on the total experience to the end user. This makes their products (historically) more limited in flexibility, but much better in overall performance for the end user who gets their needs from the product. In the early days of the PC, this was not valued as highly because people almost took GUI for granted; no one assumed that good design was critical to the success of a product, that is outside of Apple.

This is a big part of why I think the "i" devices have been so successful. People became generally frustrated with the technology that they had to deal with on a daily basis (which was by and large Windows PCs), making them eager to get the mp3 player that was simple, elegant, and beautiful (a combo that had somehow escaped others), the phone that was simple, functional, and sleek, and the thin, gorgeous tablet that lets them play games and surf the web without a laptop.

However, this era will come to an end for Apple as well. I'm not brave enough to make any predictions as to when or how the era will end, but eventually we will have the device market expand away from Apple (much like the tech market has expanded away from Microsoft and IBM; both still make money, but are no longer as relevant as they used to be), if for no other reason than the fact that people are fickle.

 

[AppleScruff1]

They won't. Just sit back and enjoy.

How much do they pay you?

Indeed.

Microsoft's core business remains selling software. They have had a few successful ventures outside of this core area, but nothing that has been so durable as software sales. Ultimately this is because Microsoft's philosophy has been about delivering a template that can be adapted to nearly unlimited ends. This has obvious benefits because it allows people to use the software however they need to. The obvious downside is that quality can't be controlled very well because the degree of variability is so high.

Apple, on the other hand, has always focused on the total experience to the end user. This makes their products (historically) more limited in flexibility, but much better in overall performance for the end user who gets their needs from the product. In the early days of the PC, this was not valued as highly because people almost took GUI for granted; no one assumed that good design was critical to the success of a product, that is outside of Apple.

This is a big part of why I think the "i" devices have been so successful. People became generally frustrated with the technology that they had to deal with on a daily basis (which was by and large Windows PCs), making them eager to get the mp3 player that was simple, elegant, and beautiful (a combo that had somehow escaped others), the phone that was simple, functional, and sleek, and the thin, gorgeous tablet that lets them play games and surf the web without a laptop.

However, this era will come to an end for Apple as well. I'm not brave enough to make any predictions as to when or how the era will end, but eventually we will have the device market expand away from Apple (much like the tech market has expanded away from Microsoft and IBM; both still make money, but are no longer as relevant as they used to be), if for no other reason than the fact that people are fickle.

Excellent post. You see it as it really is.

 

[maflynn]

Microsoft's core business remains selling software. They have had a few successful ventures outside of this core area, but nothing that has been so durable as software sales. Ultimately this is because Microsoft's philosophy has been about delivering a template that can be adapted to nearly unlimited ends. This has obvious benefits because it allows people to use the software however they need to. The obvious downside is that quality can't be controlled very well because the degree of variability is so high.

I'd venture and say Microsoft's core business is selling windows (and server products) and office. They've really not had too many hits outside of those.

Getting people and even enterprises to upgrade is getting harder and harder when there's less features (in office) and more cost. My company is still on office 03 and windows xp. MS has to realize their cash cow, office is not going to continue to pull the type of profits it used too. They need to innovate and produce different products or position office in sectors it hasn't been in. Perhaps like the iPad

 

[CalBoy]

I'd venture and say Microsoft's core business is selling windows (and server products) and office. They've really not had too many hits outside of those.

Microsoft's PC gaming sales were good before XBox, and many XBox titles have been phenomenally successful too. The proliferation of $1 apps, the Wii, and fierce competition in the PC gaming area have chipped away at this today, but that wasn't always the case.

Getting people and even enterprises to upgrade is getting harder and harder when there's less features (in office) and more cost. My company is still on office 03 and windows xp. MS has to realize their cash cow, office is not going to continue to pull the type of profits it used too. They need to innovate and produce different products or position office in sectors it hasn't been in. Perhaps like the iPad

Honestly, I think the era of $400 office software has passed. There has been a nascent movement towards "cloud" storage and this is going to be deadly to Office once the feature set becomes robust and compatibility is dealt with more effectively. This will take a while, but I think we'll see big changes once those issues are dealt with.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Honestly, I think the era of $400 office software has passed. There has been a nascent movement towards "cloud" storage and this is going to be deadly to Office once the feature set becomes robust and compatibility is dealt with more effectively. This will take a while, but I think we'll see big changes once those issues are dealt with.

Somewhat but in that department MS has some pretty good products for enterprise in that area that work really well. But then again that is enterprise stuff and something the general consumer ever see or even knows about.
MS bread and butter is enterprise services and that is not changing any time soon.

 

[KingCrimson]

Still MSFT lost $1 billion in profit from last quarter and AAPL finally passed them. Has to be worrying if you're Ballmer.

 

[InuNacho]

Until Apple lowers the cost of it's computers and gives users a few more options Microsoft will always be on top.

 

[Legion93]

Until Apple lowers the cost of it's computers and gives users a few more options Microsoft will always be on top.

Around 90% of people who purchase a computer or laptop that spend over £1,000 buys a Mac.

 

[InuNacho]

But there are still tons of people that don't spend that much money to buy a computer. If Apple sold the current Mini at it's original $499 price or even the first Intel price of $599 I'm sure more people would buy them. Same goes for some of the iMacs, the discontinued 17 and 20 inch ones were going for $899 thats $300 cheaper than the current cheapest one.

 

[benzslrpee]

you sure about that? they had a very strong showing on their Q3 2011 earnings call.

Still MSFT lost $1 billion in profit from last quarter and AAPL finally passed them. Has to be worrying if you're Ballmer.