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Apple surpasses Microsoft as world #1

Jobs on top for first time since 1989.

Apple has surpassed Microsoft as the world's most valuable technology company.

Changes in share prices left Apple worth $222bn (£154bn) and Microsoft worth $219bn, according to the BBC.

Nevertheless, Microsoft's profits are still nearly three times those of Apple. The most recent annual results show Microsoft making a profit of $14.6bn (£10bn) compared to Apple's $5.7bn. Sports cars and mansions all round, then.

The last time Apple was bigger than Microsoft was in 1989.

"It's a long game," commented Microsoft number one Steve Ballmer. "We have good competitors... we too are a very good competitor."

Apple's slinky new iPad toy er work thing arrives in the UK tomorrow, 28th May. The base model (Wi-Fi, 16GB) costs £429. The top-tier model (Wi-Fi + 3G, 64GB) costs £699. The Apple website can fill in the bits in between.

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