Apple and Microsoft

When I saw the story that Apple had surpassed Microsoft as the world's most valuable tech company, it dawned on me that the example was eerily similar to that of the Liberals and the Conservatives.

Microsoft lucked out when IBM decided to license their operating system rather than buying it about 30 years ago. That choice created a monolithic power that would rule the computer world for 30 years. And for those 30 years rather than pursue any bold innovations or breakthrough technologies, they used their virtual monopoly to stifle and surpress competition, much to the detriment of the entire world. How many people will read this using what is almost universally regarded as the 'worst browser' simply because that's the one that came with their computer?

Though still the dominant OS across the globe, the failure of Microsoft to generate quality products and meet market and consumer expectations has taken a toll on the company's status and reputation. Once the market overlord, it now finds itself struggling to keep pace with the products it releases either flopping or simply not matching up with those of the competition.

"The competition" for Microsoft comes from many sources, but in this case Apple is the focus. A company that was once openly ridiculed now stares in the face of the once mighty giant and smirks. And no one is going to tell them to wipe the smirk from their face.

Apple came to the position they're in because they didn't just follow the market, they created the market. They led the way with creation and innovation, and then managed both to lead the way in the industry. From the Ipod to Itunes, and touch screen tech to the iphone, Apple created demand and built a reputation that would lead them to the dominance they now enjoy.

And there are more than a few parallels between this clash of technology titans and the current landscape of Canadian political theatre.

The Liberal Party for too long rested on the fact that it IS the party that most closely represents Canadian values. But in recognizing this, the party got lazy and rather than pursue bold or innovative policy, they stuck with what they knew, played it safe and in the process failed to keep pace.

The record of the Chretien terms was not without its successes, but it was also not without its failures. These failures only came to be magnified under the leadership of Paul Martin, who when finally coming to lead the party after over a decade of yearning for the top job, seemed to have no ideas, no plans and no way to cope with an emboldened opposition.

And as loathe as I am to compare the Conservative Party to Apple, if only because they are antithetical to much of what Apple is, and they are in many ways the embodiment of Microsoft, they have also organized themselves incredibly well. They know what they're doing, they're ready to do it, and maybe most of all they're ready to take all comers on. And those are three things that can't be said about the Liberal Party.