The one thing Microsoft lacks is the industrial design ingenuity of Apple. There are products that perform and function equal to, if not better, than Apple products, but in terms of packaging and design, Apple does it with a modernistic style that leaves its competitors behind. And it applies to their entire corporate culture from design to production to marketing.

There's very little to differentiate products in today's high tech market except in style points, and that's where Apple wins hands down.