Apple was at a point in the late 1990s where they HAD to innovate, or die. Their series of fiascos with clueless CEOs and never-materializing products (Copeland) had pushed them to the brink of collapse. Microsoft has not yet had to face such a challenge, perhaps they will and emerge a reinvented, reinvigorated company like Apple, or they will continue to stagnate and eventually be another Wang in the history books.

EDIT: typos