Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
Definately a company to invest in.
Well, not exactly. What about Xbox? Zune? (what's that?Apples and Oranges (s'cuse the pun), Apple is hardware, Microsoft is software. Might as well compare Apple to GM.
Well, not exactly. What about Xbox? Zune? (what's that?) ? Granted Apple isn't into software nearly as much as Microsoft, but they do have their own OS, office sweet, etc.
Maybe comparing apples and pears? Funny thing is, if you look at both of them, each one would love to be more like the other! MS is trying to break in to the portable stuff and I'm sure Apple would like to make more inroads in to the OS and business app market share.
Or maybe they ARE in hardware development?Well Zuni and XBox are hardware tweeked to run only MS software, Apple has been designing hardware for many years and have developed versions of MS software to run on Apple hardware. Does MS design their own hardware ?? I don't think so, but apple does, and they do the software for their products.
IMHO, apples and oranges.

Or maybe they ARE in hardware development?
http://www.microsoft-careers.com/go/Hardware-Development-Engineers-Jobs/194523/
...from one of their hardware engineering ads. Only MS knows for sure, and i'm sure it's their secret.For IP we acquire externally, this candidate will be driving verification methodologies and requirements with the external vendors.