Apple produced machines and phones for the millionaires and went on to become a life style accessory company. With heavy investments in advertising and branding and a use of high quality multimedia content in their ads, Apple sure has a fan following that has taken cult proportion. Apple now needs real innovations to sustain the brand.
Microsoft has shaped itself as a platform company with a number of innovations in developing a platform that nurtures an ecosystem of businesses. History has come to repeat with Apple offering the equivalent of a millionaire's machine to the mobile phone users. Microsoft on the other hand is building an inclusive platform for Mobile phone vendors where LG, Nokia, Motorola, Asus and a multitude of vendors will build business bringing down the cost of these devices.
Innovation in platform is not easily comprehended by an end user of a product as it spreads across various products and service offerings. A hardware on the other hand from Nokia or Apple is noticed and has a huge mind share. Ericsson or Microsoft which develops the infrastructure/platform is never a cool company despite its contributions in terms of innovation.
Having said this,we need better definitions to measure innovation which are now biased by mind share of consumers and a fan culture.
