Why Apple Inc. (AAPL) Will Never Be Stuck As Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Was?

Matyszczyk quoted Cook’s response in an interview by Fast Company, regarding what really differentiates the two tech giants. When Cook said that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) was much more legacy bound than Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) he meant that the company had a sort of obstinate attitude towards some of its products, which even though might not be popular with the customers, but Microsoft would continue to promote them in later versions and thereby using its muscle as a tech giant to make the product acceptable.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) on the other hand, according to Cook was far more aware of its failures and much more quicker to give up on a product that failed to garner strong support from its consumers, unlike Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). He gave an example of floppy disk, which Apple moved away from even though it was popular among users, and instead embarked on a journey to make optical drives. Then there is also the case of 30 – pin connector which the company changed. Although the intention with products like connectors is to give the user as smooth and simple an experience as possible, but the company also cashes in the release of new products as new accessories have to be bought since the old ones lose their compatibility with the new devices.

According to Cook, the only thing that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is stuck to are the company’s values and its philosophy, which in a nutshell is to change the world, something that the company has inherited from its late founder, Steve Jobs.

While Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is up by about 7.7% over the last year, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s stock has accelerated by some 68% on the back of the release of its new phones iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, during the same period.