Nowadays, society picks on little things; apples and oranges, black and white, Republican and Democratic, and, interestingly enough, Apple and Microsoft. But wait, these two companies are just big guys in the tech world… what makes them fight worthy? Well, let’s look at who these companies are first, and then we’ll see what iUP kids think.

Apple Inc.

Who is Apple? Apple is a multibillion-dollar company that produces useable tech for the great majority of the population. Their products include devices such as but not limited to, phones, computers, home devices, subscriptions, and services. The mission statement of the company is something along the lines of working “to bring the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services”. Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, the first computer, built by the hands of Steve Wozniak, was released into the world and set the stage for many decades of successful and widely used products. But how did Steve Jobs get into this then? Steve Jobs had the idea of selling the computer and making a company around it. This one company would continue to influence so many people throughout the globe. The first-ever Macbook came out in the Summer of 2006, the iPhone was released in the Summer of 2007, and the first-gen Apple watch was released in the Spring of 2015. Since then, Apple Inc has continued to push out new, techy, and trendy devices for the public to use and love. The company is currently worth a grand total of 2 trillion dollars, and they are still innovating new hardware, software, and services.

Microsoft Co.

Now that we know a bit about Apple Inc, we now get to look at what a corporation such as Microsoft does. One hears the talk about iPhones, MacBooks, and watches, and home thingies. But what about the other computers? Well, Microsoft may not have a fancy brand special device that looks like a MacBook, but they certainly did the tech world justice. In 1975, Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates, one of the richest men in the world. According to the current CEO of the company, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s mission statement is “to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more”. This sounds a lot different than Apple’s and is more focused on helping people to achieve a greater purpose rather than putting the focus on technology and solely that. Microsoft is most known for its software, Windows, and one may see their infamous software incorporated into many different hardware companies’ products, including Dell, HP, and more. Their brand special product is also the Xbox, a very popular gaming system handed to humanity since 2001. Not only does Microsoft provide gaming equipment, but they have their own, chic hardware as well, Surface. My personal favorite of the two, (Apple vs. Microsoft) the surface comes in many forms, including a studio (just another name for a bendable desktop with a touchscreen), laptop (comparable in style to the MacBook minus the touchscreen *because Apple has no touchscreen*) and kickstand style. They even have a Surface Go, almost like a mini laptop for on the go! Their hardware might be more pricey, but it’s worth every penny, especially since their company is now worth (as of 2020) 1 trillion dollars.

What Do iUP Kids Label as better?

Let’s take a look at what some of the iUP students said about these two companies.

• Austin Travis (Grade 12)
  • “Speeds on iPhones are much faster than those of Samsung.”
  • “I like using Microsoft Computers, and Xbox is great except for the storage on the One.”
• Brooke Bolinger (Grade 9)
  • “I like Apple for phones, Microsoft for Computers.”
  • “Chromebooks are my personal favorite.”
• Enya Ratkic (Grade 12)
  • “I personally think Apple is the best. Their stuff lasts really long, and it works like it’s brand new.”
  • “Camera quality on iPhones is really good.”
• Owen Labay (Grade 6)
  • “It’s kind of a brand thing when it comes to Apple, but I feel like their products are the best.”
  • “When it comes to Microsoft, my parents bought it for me, beats me.”

What about your take, Natalie?

• My personal take on this is siding with Microsoft. I personally love their products, and the mission statement of Microsoft seems to have the people’s best interest rather than just the tech. Apple’s phones aren’t terrible, but it’s taken them a long time to get some features that really needed to be integrated earlier. I’m a happy owner of a Surface Pro 5 and I pride myself on having the coolest computer around.

So these are the facts and opinions of iUP kids around Apple Vs. Microsoft. As a tech guru myself, I ask you this question; what makes you click-happy?

Citations:

• Apple History Timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.softschools.com/viewTimeline.action?id=252#:~:text=Disney buys Pixar from Apple ,would … 11 more rows

• Timeline of Microsoft. (2020, October 25). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Microsoft#:~:text=Full timeline Year , stores … 23 more rows