By Evan Niu, CFA

Over the decades, there has been a long history of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) copying Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) . This trend most notably started with the graphical user interface, or GUI, that the Mac first brought to consumer PCs and was subsequently followed by Windows.

Another prominent example would be the Zune, which had hoped to muscle in on the iPod’s success, but largely failed. Most recently, Microsoft’s entire business strategy may be transitioning toward Apple’s ways, as Steve Ballmer has made it abundantly clear that Microsoft’s future lies in becoming a “devices-and-services” company, a departure from its predominantly software approach.

Well, Apple may be about to copy its rival from Redmond for once.

Flatland
Apple is just weeks away from kicking off its Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC. The headliner at the event will be iOS 7, which is expected to see its first aesthetic overhaul in years. Numerous rumors over the past couple months have pointed to design chief Jony Ive pursuing a more “flat design.”

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By Zach Epstein

Apple’s fifth-generation iPad hasn’t yet been unveiled, but at this point we likely have a fairly good idea of what to expect. The new “iPad 5″ will be thinner and lighter than Apple’s current model — which seems like an obvious assumption unless you consider the fact that the third-generation iPad was both thicker and heavier than its predecessor — and it will seemingly have a smaller overall footprint as well. In line with a series of earlier leaks, a newly published photo from case maker Tactus allegedly shows the next-generation iPad’s rear shell. It also reinforces numerous earlier reports suggesting the iPad 5 will feature a big redesign that adopts the iPad mini’s design aesthetic. According to a recent report from KGI Securities, which has a solid track record when it comes to information about unannounced Apple devices, the next-generation iPad will launch this coming August or September.

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