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Late last year as Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft were trading the top spot for world's most valuable company, I wrote about why Microsoft was the best positioned to solidify its position as No. 1.

One year later and Microsoft is still on top; its current market capitalization is sitting around $1.05 trillion while Apple moved back above $1 trillion Wednesday.

While these numbers are closer than they have been in the past three months, there is no question that Microsoft is better positioned to remain on top. Apple's latest product launch serves as a strong testimonial to why this is the case and why Microsoft looks like the better long-term bet for investors.

I have been vocal over the past year about Apple's innovation issues. The company is struggling to come up with anything new or original and has instead turned to copying and/or iteration to develop new markets. I have previously highlighted that the new iPhones, iPads, and MacBook have been nothing more than iterative over the last few launches. Tuesday's unveiling was no different, as it delivered nothing surprising and nothing inventive. Instead it was personified by small changes the company nonetheless hopes will inspire customers to part with hard-earned dollars for an almost identical device and user experience.

Read Therese Poletti: Apple iPhone event reveals a dramatic change in strategy

True, Microsoft and Apple aren't direct competitors in many of their core technology products and solutions. The growing popularity of the Microsoft Surface laptop has led to some competitive instances with iPad and MacBook, but the companies are largely approaching the broader market in different ways. It is because of these differences that Microsoft is far better positioned to maintain its lead.

Difference 1: Apple's biggest profit and revenue source is declining while Microsoft's is growing.

This past year, Canalys marked Apple's iPhone sales down 17% for the year. The signs of slowing continue with the iterative launch and the lack of a 5G offering. Its most compelling growth areas have been AirPods ( 60% of market, per Counterpoint) and Apple Watch ( 46% of market, per Strategy Analytics), but the margins on those aren't nearly as lucrative as the iPhone. Meanwhile, Microsoft Azure has seen over 60% growth in each of the past four quarters and its Dynamics 365 CRM business, is also growing over 40%. Surface is growing at a 14% clip year over year as it continues to gain momentum.

Difference 2: The markets for Enterprise SaaS, Cloud, and AI are screaming opportunities, while Consumer Subscription Services are quickly becoming oversaturated.

Microsoft is a recurring revenue machine for enterprise and consumers with its productivity suite of services. It is also at the heart of the Big Data and Artificial intelligence evolution, with Azure and Power Platform, as well as a growing Dynamics 365 business in enterprise CRM. These businesses will power the future of AI and automation and has a certain amount of recession resilience.

Apple is a luxury product that has ridden a decade of growth, and its continued growth is dependent on users buying the most expensive, semi-outdated devices based upon brand affinity and/or subscribing to a set of crowded consumer services where people aren't clamoring for anything new.

Difference 3: Microsoft has already made the services pivot, while Apple is still midstream in its transformation.

With over a billion subscribers to 365, combined with a robust and quickly-growing infrastructure-as-a-service business (Azure) that is the only company in the space taking market share from Amazon.com , Microsoft is well beyond the pivot point.

Meanwhile, Apple is still testing the waters with Arcade, TV Plus, Apple Credit Card, and Music Services, all of which have significant competitors (Spotify , Netflix , Amazon) that are much further along in terms of product and market growth.

Difference 4: Microsoft's CEO is a dynamic risk-taker while Apple's CEO is playing it safe.

Satya Nadella started changing things almost the moment he walked into the role. This was especially true with the shift from a software licensing business to a cloud company. Tim Cook has been slow and methodical, streamlining operations, enhancing margins through pricing adjustments, and rolling out iterative and copycat products that Apple knows it can sell.

These products, as Tuesday's announcements showed, are boring, and certainly neither innovative nor transformative.

Here are my quick takes on the five new products and services Apple unveiled:

* Apple Arcade is a subscription gaming service on iOS that offers as many questions as answers. Most high-end gamers are looking for much more immersive gaming experiences, while recreational gamers are often drawn to ad-supported free games.

* Apple TV+ is another Netflix-type of service that also is competing with Disney , Hulu, Amazon, and a plethora of sports, movie and other content services.

Read: Apple's streaming service is cheap, but how does it stack up against Amazon, Netflix and Disney?

* The seventh-generation iPad offers a small increase in screen size, updated processor and a very rudimentary multitask capability. It's a little less expensive than Microsoft's Surface, but not even on the same plane for productivity.

* The fifth-generation Apple Watch was the best product of the day and potentially the strongest category, together with AirPods, for Apple going forward.

* iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro have small improvements to camera, processing, and battery life. Will anyone with an iPhone 8 or newer really be clamoring to get one? Sure, it will sell, but I find it hard to believe it will drive fourth-quarter business the way it has in the past. I think the 12 with 5G is Apple's best shot to get the iPhone back on track.

While the race to be the biggest company by stock-market value is close today, Apple will need something disruptive in the coming four quarters to catch up in the long run. If Tuesday's launch is an indication of what to expect from Cupertino, Microsoft looks the part of a company fit to stay on top.

Daniel Newman is the principal analyst at Futurum Research. Follow him on Twitter @danielnewmanUV. Futurum Research, like all research and analyst firms, provides or has provided research, analysis, advising, and/or consulting to many high-tech companies in the tech and digital industries. Neither he nor his firm holds any equity positions with any companies cited.

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The $1 trillion companies: Microsoft is still bigger and better than Apple

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Late last year as Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft were trading the top spot for world's most valuable company, I wrote about why Microsoft was the best positioned to solidify its position as No. 1. One year later and Microsoft is still on top; its current market capitalization is sitting around $1.05 trillion while Apple moved back above $1 trillion Wednesday.

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A gaming pc can do everything that a regular pc can do. The differences come into play when looking at what the computer is possible of doing. A gaming pc is a beefier computer and has more RAM, a graphics card, and a more powerful CPU. Think of a regular computer as a Chevy and a gaming computer like a Bugatti.

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Finding your next computer doesn't have to be a chore.

If you're looking for something you can easily carry to and from work, or bring with you on vacation, then a lightweight laptop could be in order. These weigh just a couple of pounds, have batteries that can now last several workdays before needing to be charged, and have more than enough power to tackle common productivity tasks like browsing the web and editing office documents. Some models, known as convertibles, can be used as a tablet of sorts by bending the keyboard backward and behind the screen using a 360-degree hinge.

A desktop may be a smarter and more ergonomic pick, however, if you're setting up a home office and aren't worried as much about mobility. Staring into a monitor puts less strain on your neck than staring down into a laptop. You also generally get more power per dollar spent with a desktop than you do with a laptop.

Some models come with a built-in display, while others require you to supply your own. Luckily, you can find good computer monitors for reasonable prices. In fact, while all-in-one models with a screen tend to be aesthetically pleasing and take up less desk space, they can cost a lot more than buying a desktop computer and monitor separately.

Mac or PC? It's really up to you. You'll find models on both platforms that score well in our labs. They'll support the most popular software options, too, from Adobe Photoshop to Chrome, Slack to Zoom. But there are benefits to pairing a Mac with an iPhone or an Android phone with a PC. You may be able to answer a text message with your keyboard, for example, or share copy-paste data between a computer and a smartphone.

For more, check out the full computer ratings based on our latest tests results, available to Consumer Reports members.

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Finding your next computer doesn't have to be a chore. If you're looking for something you can easily carry to and from work, or bring with you on vacation, then a lightweight laptop could be in order.

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Input devices are pieces of equipment that send information in to the computer in order to do a specific command or program. An example of an input device is a mouse. Some people classify input devices as "accessories" because they tend to be extra's that a consumer can add to their computer. When buying a mouse for example, it is basically up to the consumer what they want for the specs of their mouse.

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Focusing on RAM is important for any computer as well. RAM is the memory that a computer uses to run programs. The better the RAM, the faster and smoother your computer will be able to run.

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CPU is the central processing unit to a computer. In simpler terms, the CPU is the brains to the computer. All of the functions in a computer are done in the CPU. When buying any computer, it is important to look at the specs for the CPU.

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For Gaming Computers, graphics cards are very important to look at. A graphics card allows for better picture quality.

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Output devices are anything that receives data from a computer and projects it out for the user to see such as a monitor or printer. Output devices, specifically monitors, should be examined closely to make sure that you are getting the right kind for your Computer. A wrong kind of monitor could become overloaded if its not made to handle what is being processed.

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Obviously not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend on a computer. Finding good stores with good programs to help financially is a great option to getting a more reliable and high quality computer. Nebraska furniture mart and best buy offer plans for no interest on electronic devices so these two stores are my first recommendations.

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PC Gaming: Shop Computers for Gaming - Microsoft Store

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Shop the latest deals in PC gaming today. Find the best computers for gaming, as well as accessories, new games, and more now on the Microsoft Store.

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Desktop Computers | Nebraska Furniture Mart

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Find out whether building a custom gaming PC is right for you in this exploration of the key components that maximize your gaming performance.