By: Katherine Durant
When it comes to the latest technology from computers and tablets to smartphones, two of the biggest competitors are Apple and Microsoft. But can they actually be considered competitors, or is Apple in complete dominance? Most people would probably assume that Apple has complete control when it comes to computers and smartphones. It seems like every way you turn, more and more people are switching over from Microsoft computers to Apple. And, of course, it seems like there is not a single person that uses any smartphone other than the iPhone. However, as surprising as this may seem, this is not reality.
When it comes to the numbers, Apple and Microsoft are neck and neck. After reading the article entitled Apple vs. Microsoft: The winner is… written by author Matt Krantz, I have come to realize and understand that the two companies are equally as dominant. At the beginning of 2014, shares of both Apple and Microsoft grew at an almost identical rate last year with Apple at 21.5% and Microsoft at 20.3%. Later in the year the same trend continued with Apple shares increasing by 69.8% and Microsoft at 63.65%. While Apple does come out on top in other aspects such as net income and revenue, Microsoft produced and sold almost 1 million more phones in 2014 than Apple.
Furthermore, many people think Apple can be considered the more expensive, pricey brand when compared to Microsoft. Even I, myself, thought this was the case. When I think of the two brands, I think Apple makes higher quality products, which ultimately comes with a higher cost. Microsoft comes out with products on the lower end when it comes to quality, in my opinion, which therefore would come with a lower price. After doing more research, I now see that the two companies are much more comparable than I thought. Everyone knows the latest iPhone Apple has come out within this past year has been extremely popular. The iPhone 6 starts at $199 for a 16GB and goes up to $299 for a 64GB. This model of the iPhone can compare to the Nokia Lumia 1520 that Microsoft sells for $249 for a 32GB model. While Apple doesn’t have a 32GB model for the iPhone 6, Microsoft still comes in at a price point and GB of storage that falls directing in the middle of the two Apple options.
So there may not be a clear winner when it comes to the numbers, what it really comes down to is the customer. Every person has his or her own preferences. You’re either an Apple or Microsoft person. Some people hate how Apple computers are set up and find them confusing to use, and vice versa. Both companies have proven to be strong competitors and neither is backing down. They will play ideas off of each other and continue to come out with the next best thing.
Source: http://americasmarkets.usatoday.com/2014/07/23/apple-vs-microsoft-by-the-numbers/
Marketing Discussions 
This is an interesting topic!! in my case I prefer Apple products than Microsoft; I do agree that these are two companies that are very competitive with each other and I also agree with you everything depends on the customer. At the end is what the customer wants and needs are.
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I also agree with you, these 2 are the most common companies on the market. I personally prefer Microsoft products. Apple is more like a toy to play with, Microsoft products are perfect to work with. Apple also has limited programs, instead Microsoft offers a bigger gamma of software products. But Yes, everything depends on the customers. Apple in the last years became a trend for teenagers, Microsoft is a more serious company.
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I like your comment about Apple being for play and Microsoft being for work. I own Apple products but on my MacBook I have Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint dowloaded because I think they are easier to use than Pages and KeyNote. If I got a job in the business field I think I would get a Microsoft computer or tablet because i think they are more fitting for in office use. I was surprised to see that they are neck in neck in popularity. Recently I noticed that on TV characters have Microsoft phones, tablets, and computers. I think this is a good marketing strategy for them because they are getting the features of their products known, as well as popularizing their brand.
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Both of these companies know what they’re doing. Many people have bought into apple over the past few years. Someone in this class even stated that a family member who is in kindergarten got an Ipad from the school he/she attends. Apple makes a lot of money with Apple computers and Ipads marketing them as learning tools. They aren’t selling tablets to the younger generation, they are selling a more efficient and fun way to learn. Although this is only one example of apple’s marketing, you can get an idea of how they can make it easier to consume one of their products. With the older population (as in teens-adults) apple computers and ipads and iphones all sync up. This is a major plus to not only sell a single item to multiple people, but multiple items to a single person. Apple is doing a great job maintaining their status and making sales of a lifestyle.
On the other hand, some people may be more traditional. While apple has modernized a lot, some people enjoy microsoft word and other programming that microsoft has to offer. Also, when it comes to computers it is easy to buy a toshiba laptop that lasts more than 4 years (to date I have had mine for 4 and even shattered and had to replace the screen) and only costs a couple hundred vs. a macbook which can be upwards of a grand and breaks or requires the buying of a new one within 3 years.
Both sides definitely have their pros and cons with software, hardware, and the brand of the product itself but in my eyes, they are equal. These brands are both amazing in what they produce and what they continue to make better. This is definitely equal to a Padres vs. Dodgers game. For those who aren’t familiar with the west coast rivalry, it’s a pretty big deal. Both apple and microsoft provide great products and services and will continue to thrive side by side.
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I felt the same way before I read your article. I have used both Microsoft and Apple, and I prefer using Apple more. I have an Microsoft computer because it is cheaper, but I dislike Windows 8. I wish they kept with Windows 7, because it was more simple than Apple, now it is more confusing than Apple computers. When it comes to phones, I think the Apple Iphone is the easiest to use, partly because Itunes is simple for downloading anything. I think Apple will start beating Windows in the competition, because I see most college students using all Apple products, and that many IT computer companies are switching from PC’s to Mac’s. PC’s were the mecca of all computers in business, I think recently the Apple products have grown to be more sufficient and easy to use. My uncle is a computer genius who works for one of the top IT computer firms in the country designing codes for people not to steal money from banks. He told me that he’s used a PC all his life, until recently his company switched to Mac’s because they were easier to use and his company had to re-code all their databases and Mac’s in order to use them for work. Everyone that my Uncle was working with really wanted to use Apple, so they switched. Businesses are starting to switch and even children in grade schools are starting to use Mac’s, because they are more suffiecient partly because of their price, and they are a lot more easier to use than PC’s.
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This was an interesting post primarily because right from the start I was on the opposite side. I know very few people who use Macs and at this point I know more people who have switched away from iPhones than still have them. So just going by my personal experience I would have said Microsoft was the more dominant company. But it is great for both companies to be so close; it gives consumers an option where they do not feel like they are getting short changed with either brand. This kind of competition is great for business.
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I have always been one to go with something that is different than the social “norm”. I had a Samsung phone for the longest time and I loved it. Now that I have an iphone, i find the technology a lot more user friendly. Which is apple’s biggest selling point. Microsoft has come out with some revolutionary ideas that apple wont ever get. Apple versus Microsoft will always be an on-going competition among society and will never get old. The amount of people who defend their beliefs on either apple or Microsoft will probably never get a product of the other company, but the people who do can get an idea of the competition.
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