Apple’s meteoric rise over the past decade is not exactly a well-kept secret. But a new report gives a fresh perspective on just how high Apple has risen. Consider that according to some number crunching carried out by MacDailyNews Apple’s worth now exceeds Microsoft and Intel (a duo known as Wintel) combined.
According to the report, which was compiled on Friday after stock markets had closed, the value of the Cupertino, California-based Apple stands at $317.60 billion. Microsoft’s value was put at $201.59 billion and Intel’s value at $115.21 billion. Add those latter two figures up and Wintel’s value is $316.80 billion — just under a billion short of Apple’s assessed worth. Just over one year ago, Apple made news when it first eclipsed Microsoft’s “enterprise value.”
Microsoft and Intel, of course, are still far and away the companies of choice when it comes to desktop computing hardware and operating systems. And that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Apple’s share of the PC market currently is around 7.4 percent and Wintel’s combined share is at around 92.6 percent.
So while Apple may not be dominating the traditional PC market, its iPad and iPhone have made tremendous progress in transforming the ideal of a “personal computer” into a device that is highly integrated, mobile and, to many, increasingly indispensable. That shift towards a more mobile computing environment doesn’t look to be a fad either. Apple’s success is almost guranteed to continue into the near future. However, the question remains if Apple’s gains will come at Microsoft’s and Intel’s expense.
