Microsoft --> iPad?

Rumor has it: Microsoft is developing apps for the iPad. This isn't particularly surprising, given Microsoft's emerging presence on the iPhone, but it does open up new possibilities for collaboration between Microsoft and Apple. Increasingly, Microsoft appears to be conceding that Apple will win the hardware wars. As suggested by another post on this blog, the introduction of the iPad has caused PC notebook sales to slow significantly. The iPad is, in fact, a game-changing device; Microsoft wants to make sure it is on-board for its meteoric rise.

Moreover, Microsoft can offer more on the iPad platform than it can with the iPhone. As this article suggests, Microsoft will likely introduce its bread-and-butter product--Microsoft Office--for the iPad in the near future. Although this may seem like a case of unlikely bedfellows, it is clear that Microsoft and Apple seek to hold Google at bay. As long as Apple continues to focus on innovative hardware and doesn't push Microsoft out of the software space, there will be room for both of these companies to grow. Microsoft will benefit from the burgeoning app business; Apple will sell more devices.