Yes of course, like the mouse... and the GUI.
Apple's always been at the forefront. Steve Jobs has a knack for realizing the potential of key technologies and implements them in straight forward beautiful industrial design.
Hence, Apple introduced the mouse to the computing public.... hence Apple introduced the graphical user interface to a BASIC and DOS typing world... and 1984 was
not like 1984.
Apple pioneered the floppy disk in personal computers and was the first to discard it in the 90's. They're pioneering the first consumer multi touch devices (iPhone) which will be the biggest revolution in personal computers since the invention of the mouse.
Apple is an innovator and a risk taker. Microsoft often comes behind and tries to implement these successes without getting too far away from the safety of the status quo. This is why I prefer one over the other. This is why Vista is failing.
Don't get me wrong. I don't want to see Microsoft fail. Like I said, I think they got it right with X BOX.
Bill Gates recently took the best step for his company since its inception: he left. It's time for the Steve Balmers of the company to do the same and hand over the reigns to young blood that understands how to serve the consumer market.
As is being proved by the Asus EEE PC, the future of consumer level operating systems is in multiple compatible OS's versus one big monopoly. We're beginning to see that computers should be accessible as any other home appliance. Microsoft's bloated OS does not provide that. Over the next few years, we're going to see multiple flavors of Linux emerge as pre-installed proprietary OS's of Sony, HP and Dell PC's. We might even see the much whispered about Google OS. Apple OS X is going to be a part of that ecosystem of OS's.
Bold statement: Windows XP was the last Microsoft monopoly in the OS business. They had the chance to extend it with Vista but we're seeing where that's going. Windows 7 (even if it's all that is promised) will be too late to the game.