As the technology era moves from desktops to handhelds, so too does the power shift between technology companies.
This shift was seen this month when Apple, whose iPhone and iPad gadgets dominate the handheld markets, surpassed Microsoft in value on Wall Street.
Just a decade ago, Apple was considered a dead fish, just waiting to be flushed. With the rise of portable gadgets and the shift in market shares away from business needs and more towards consumer wants, came a shift in power and valuation as well.
In the past decade, smart phones, mobile entertainment devices, and more have risen quickly to overtake the business and PC markets. With their rise came the rebirth of Apple, now the world’s foremost gadget giant.
The desktop and notebook markets are still dominated by Microsoft with Windows and Office being the operating system and productivity suites most often chosen by computer users. Computers themselves, however, have seen a rapid change towards portability as smart phones become more and more like the netbooks and smaller desktops available often with similar price points as well.
Apple currently sells twice as much (in revenue) in gadgets as it does computers with smartphones racing ahead in sales at a pace five times faster than desktops. Many in the tech industry think that Microsoft is now in its own downward spiral, unable to deal with fast-emerging technologies while Apple is hitting the cutting-edge and fighting to stay there.