Compare/Contrast Paper

Compare and Contrast Sample

First Name Last Name

Composition 1

Compare and Contrast

15 January 2016

Apple or Microsoft?

When the time comes to choose a new laptop or smart phone, people are commonly faced with a choice of equipment from two very popular companies: Apple or Microsoft. While the two companies were formed around similar times in the 1970s, they have each trudged forward with different methodologies in mind. Despite this, both organizations are two of the top contenders in the technology market because each fills needs in various disciplines and outlets. Apple and Microsoft make many similar devices that also function comparatively, but when it comes to quality, Apple has the leg up. [SS1]

First, Apple and Microsoft both make similar gadgets ranging from computers to phones[SS2] . The equipment currently in production at Microsoft includes the Microsoft Surface (tablet and computer), the Lumia phone, the Microsoft Band (fitness watch), the Xbox game station, the Microsoft HoloLens glasses, and the Microsoft Surface Hub (Vasiliey et al 109). Similar to Microsoft, Apple’s most recent products include the Mac computer, the iPad tablet, the iPhone, the iWatch, and Apple TV. The comparative products across both companies look so similar that consumers must evaluate each mechanism’s functions to determine which item best suits their intended purposes.

Next, apple and Microsoft products both perform fairly congruently, making the decision between the two further complicated. For example, the Microsoft Band reads health information as well as displays important notifications like texts and emails. The Apple iWatch is similar in this way. It exhibits health data and incoming/outgoing communication, and it also has gaming and wireless calling capabilities. Essentially, one company cannot omit a popular feature in their product that their competition’s equipment presents if they want to maintain competitiveness in the market.[SS3]

Finally, quality is very important in the electronics sphere, and this is characteristic that either organization can use to promote its product over the competition’s. To Apple, quality is a must! Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, once said, “Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles” (qtd. in Vasiliey et al. 130). As a result, the Apple iWatch is encased in a finely crafted, stainless steel, aluminum-alloy unibody that securely holds all of its electronics safely on the inside. Apple desired to make the iWatch one solid entity to reduce the customer’s worry of losing any parts. In addition to the iWatch’s great body, the screen is made of sapphire crystal glass, which makes it more durable than gorilla glass. In the Journal of Superhard Materials, the researchers did a test to compare the number of fragments between sapphire crystal glass and gorilla glass. After several tests, the sapphire crystal glass yielded less fragments than the gorilla glass (140-142). Unfortunately for Microsoft customers, quality is not as common. The Microsoft Band’s screen is made of gorilla glass, which makes it inferior to the iWatch’s sapphire crystal screen. In addition, the Microsoft Band’s casing is made up of several pieces of plastic and metal, which makes the device more susceptible to breaking and loosing parts. The last worry a customer wants to have after spending a significant amount of money on a technological device is the product’s lifespan.

The two technology giants are not slowing down in their efforts to bring imaginative inventions to consumers. They often compete in an unspoken race of who can get their products to market the fastest since they already have so much almost identical equipment that also functions similarly. Therefore, in a time when buyers are conscious of their spending habits, they want to ensure they get the most for their money, which means quality is key. For the time being, Apple has it over Microsoft.[SS4]

Works Cited

Vasiliev, O. O., et al. Journal of Superhard Materials. Ed. Mykola V. Novikov. Vol. 37. Sverkhtverdye: Allerton Press, 2015. Print.

[SS1]This is a good thesis that presents two ways the two organizations are similar and one way they are different.

[SS2]This is a strong topic sentence that displays the subtopic focus of the paragraph in a way that makes the link to the thesis clear.

[SS3]The paragraphs in this essay are well organized because they discuss the subtopic in relation to one company first before moving to compare or contrast the subtopic against the next organization.

[SS4]The conclusion summarizes the three subtopics in a new and interesting way.

Last modified: Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 11:06 AM

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