Microsoft vs. Apple - The New War

Back then, Microsoft was introducing its Windows 3.X OS that was to do battle with the hugely popular Macintosh distribution featured by Apple.

The two computing giants have waged war ever since in a back-and-forth, and sometimes ugly battle between two software adversaries. Neither corporation has ever been declared a clear-cut winner as both have established themselves in their own place atop the desktop computing industry.

Fast forward a little more than a decade, and once again Microsoft and Apple tangled again when the Zune was introduced as an alternative to Apple's iPod gadget. The iPOD had taken the portable MP3 market by storm. Once again it was Apple that had innovated, and essentially created a new electronics market, which left Microsoft scrambling to establish itself in the marketplace. Time has proven the iPod to be the better product as Apple scored another victory, and essentially saved their ailing Corporation as well.

Now, with a new decade and 2010 just getting underway it looks as if Microsoft and Apple are gearing up for yet another electronic gadget showdown as Apple prepares to roll out their new iPAD device sometime in April 2010. The iPAD is Apple's impressive thin tablet, touch screen offering that looks to make serious inroads into the light weight, mobile computing environment. This is a great development for Apple as they have proven their ability time and again to innovate not only with software, but innovative hardware as well. Unfortunately for Apple, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard have recently announced their own impressive entry into this emerging electronics genre. Developed jointly with Microsoft, the HP Slate is intended to be an affordable alternative to the rather expensive iPAD.

This isn't the first time that Microsoft has shown a strong tendency for teaming up with other high-tech corporations to establish a dominant position in the computer marketplace. In fact, it was their alliance with IBM in the 1980s that allowed them to compete, and eventually overtake Apple in the desktop computing world. These joint ventures have made the Redmond, Washington software giant one of the most notorious corporations worldwide. Despite this, Apple has expertly battled its way to the top alongside Microsoft as the computing industry's most established brand names.

Standing on the sidelines of this all too familiar battle is the Internet giant Amazon.com. Amazon, with their highly successful Kindle e-book reader, has essentially pioneered this portable, handheld thin gadget marketplace. The Kindle has enabled users worldwide to wirelessly connect, and download countless book, magazine, newspaper and website content directly to their handy devices. Luckily for Amazon, they had the foresight to make their Kindle service available to Mac and PC users alike. An ingeniously clever move that will make this high-tech battle of 2010 a very interesting one indeed.