>As I recall, Apple was all but pronounced dead during the late 90's.
>Anyone who bet against the prognosticators and bought Apple stock is wealthy today.
>
>>>I used to laugh when Microsoft's demise was predicted. Now I think it is a certainty.
>Microsoft used to produce some excellent products.
>Now they excel at producing FUD.

Apple knows their market, and it is users who swarm toward anything shiney. Change a color and tell the masses that they must have that color for it is Apple, and they will drop whatever they have and line up for it.

Microsoft doesn't have the same market - especially re: developers. Unlike most Apple users, most MS developers show signs of cranial activity at least occasionally. Eventually, a lot of them can get turned away if Microsoft insists on shifting gears every few hours as they seem to have been doing for the last couple of years.