• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApple

Apple Goes All Out On Rival Microsoft

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 21, 2016, 4:16 PM ET

Apple stepped up in its never-ending battle with rival Microsoft.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company rolled out a smaller version of its iPad Pro tablet device on Monday, targeting corporate clients and office workers. The device, which competes with Microsoft’s high-end tablets such as the Surface Pro and Surface Book, was unveiled with a 9.7-inch screen size while its larger iPad Pro sibling still has a 12.9-inch display.

Apple (AAPL) is betting that corporate customers will want a smaller version of the iPad Pro, which went on sale last fall, framing it as more comfortable to carry while also retaining support for Apple’s Pencil stylus and removable keyboard.

The new device, introduced during Apple’s first media event of 2016, highlights the consumer tech giant’s continuing efforts to became a big corporate technology seller.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Over the past year, Apple has partnered with legacy enterprise companies, including IBM (IBM) and Cisco (CSCO), to cross-sell products. Apple hopes these high-profile partnerships will help it build relationships with corporations that would have been more difficult to do without help from traditional business technology providers.

In September, Apple shocked technology analysts and journalists when it invited a Microsoft (MSFT) executive to appear at a fall media event in which Apple first trotted out the iPad Pro. The two companies have been fierce rivals for decades, but they temporarily put aside their differences (at least on stage) to demonstrate how each company’s products work in tandem.

Apple needed Microsoft’s credibility with businesses to show how its new tablet could be used to run Microsoft’s Office software suite. For Microsoft, it was just another example of the company trying to illustrate how much more willing it is to collaborate with rivals under current chief executive Satya Nadella than under former CEO Steve Ballmer.

The charade seemed to work in Apple’s favor, with a February International Data Corporation report noting Apple’s iPad Pro outsold Microsoft Surface-branded devices during the fourth quarter of 2015.

Now that Apple seems to have gotten what it wanted out of Microsoft, the company went on a full-court press against the Redmond, Wash.-based corporation during its latest media event.

Apple’s head marketer Phil Schiller took several shots at Microsoft during his presentation of the new iPad, suggesting Apple is hoping to convert the millions of Windows users in the marketplace to jump-ship to the world of Apple’s operating systems comprised of iOS and Mac OS.

Schiller quipped that the majority of new iPad Pro customers “are coming from a Windows PC,” and he belittled both the Windows operating system and PCs powered by it, reflecting they were created before modern technological innovations like the Internet and Apple’s App Store.

Schiller also cited that that there are over 600 million personal computers in use today “that are over five-years-old.”

“This is really sad,” said Schiller.

For more about Apple, watch:

Even Apple CEO Tim Cook chimed in after Schiller’s talk to encourage PC users to ditch Windows and hook up with Apple.

“We think that whether you already have an iPad or whether it’s time to replace that PC laptop, the iPad Pro is an amazing choice that allows you to do so much more,” Cook posited.

It’s not surprising that Apple executives would be quick to call out rivals as they unveil new competing products. But the fact that Apple went straight after Microsoft after only a few months when it invited the company to its own press event is noteworthy because it reveals how intense the tablet market is for Apple.

One day Apple needs Microsoft to show consumers that it can do business, and then the next day Apple disparages Microsoft to persuade those consumers that it has superior technology.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Tech

AIMark Cuban
Mark Cuban says AI allows ‘creators to become exponentially more creative,’ but his advice didn’t land well with people working in the industry
By Sydney LakeDecember 22, 2025
23 minutes ago
Larry Ellison sits in the Oval Office
Big TechLarry Ellison
Billionaire Larry Ellison comes to his son’s rescue, agreeing to personally guarantee over $40 billion to finance Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros.
By Dave SmithDecember 22, 2025
31 minutes ago
man
AIstatistics
It’s starting to look like we’ll never come up with a good way to tell what was written by AI and what was written by humans
By Ambuj Tewari and The ConversationDecember 22, 2025
2 hours ago
Chris Nicholas
CommentaryLeadership
I’m the Sam’s Club CEO and I’ve got an AI leadership reality check: let purpose, not promise, guide investment
By Chris NicholasDecember 22, 2025
2 hours ago
Geoff Green
Commentarymortgages
Your mortgage likely cost $11,500 to originate—and reams of paperwork. How Salesforce Agentforce is helping improve the process
By Geoff GreenDecember 22, 2025
3 hours ago
Woodside
AIBrainstorm AI
An Iowa company that builds wood chippers doesn’t care about your AI buzzwords: 2 Silicon Valley CEOs get real about the hype-slop-cycle
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 22, 2025
3 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Future of Work
Meet a 55-year-old automotive technician in Arkansas who didn’t care if his kids went to college: ‘There are options’
By Muskaan ArshadDecember 21, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Multimillionaire musician Will.i.am says work-life balance is for people 'working on someone else’s dream'—he grinds from 5-to-9 after his 9-to-5
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 21, 2025
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
A Walmart employee nearly doubled her pay after entering its pipeline for skilled tradespeople. 'I was able to move out of my parents' house'
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressDecember 20, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Even if the Supreme Court rules Trump's global tariffs are illegal, refunds are unlikely because that would be 'very complicated,' Hassett says
By Jason MaDecember 21, 2025
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
The scientist who helped create AI says it’s only ‘a matter of time’ before every single job is wiped out—even safer trade jobs like plumbing
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 19, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
'They'll lose their humanity': Dartmouth professor says he's surprised just how scared his Gen Z students are of AI
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 20, 2025
2 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.