Microsoft's Net Income Falls Below Apple's

Microsoft's net income for the quarter ending March 31st fell below Apple's for the first time in 20 years, according to Bloomberg.

Revenue in Microsoft's Windows division fell 4.4 percent to $4.45 billion, the Redmond, Washington-based company said yesterday in a statement. That missed the $4.6 billion average prediction of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Net income was $5.23 billion, eclipsed by the $5.99 billion reported by Apple last quarter.


An 8% drop in consumer PC shipments and a 40% drop in netbook shipments is thought to have contributed to a weaker than forecasted quarter for Microsoft. The decline is partially because of defection to tablet computers such as the iPad.

"You have to live underneath a rock not to know that the iPad has taken share from the netbook," said Pat Becker Jr. from Becker Capital Management. "It's a problem on the consumer side, and that's a market where Microsoft continues to give up territory to Apple."