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Fast Company Magazine ranks Apple #4 of 50 innovative companies

by Mel Martin Feb 20th 2009 at 5:30PM

With most business trends heading south, Apple continues to get recognition from customers and the press. Today, Fast Company Magazine put Apple in 4th place among the top 50 most innovative companies. The article cites the iPhone, the App Store, the unibody construction of the new laptop line, increasingly green packaging and products, and finally iTunes which is growing while the rest of the music industry falters. All in all, it has been a pretty good year for Apple (it must be noted, however, that Apple was #2 on the list last year).

For the curious, the Obama election team was ranked #1 this year; Google came in at #2. Our friends at Microsoft ranked #34.

You can read the profiles of all 50 companies here, and the Apple profile is here.
Fast Company, published since 1995 "is dedicated to exploring innovation in business, digital technology, leadership, design, and social responsibility," or so they say.

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With most business trends heading south, Apple continues to get recognition from customers and the press. Today, Fast Company Magazine put...
 

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Jubei

It's curious to see that Apple is #4 while Microsoft has submitted a record number of patents last year. You would think that a company with such prolific patent submissions would be the most innovative of the bunch.

February 21 2009 at 5:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Jubei's comment
Nick

While I'm usually on MS's side here, a high number of patents patents does not necessarily equal innovation. I work for a company that had 1000s of patents granted in the last year or so, but when you look at the company from an outsider's perspective, you would be hard pressed to call them innovative by any stretch.

February 21 2009 at 9:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Patriks7

So how much did Microsoft pay them to be way up there? :p

February 20 2009 at 9:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Patriks7's comment
Nick

I guess less than Apple.

What a troll.

February 21 2009 at 2:36 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
LD

I wonder if they want to reconsider Hulu now that they pretty much suck.

February 20 2009 at 6:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Silver

The *real* question is...why did Microsoft make the top 50 list at all???

Was it their My Phone service and Windows Mobile app store? Or their upcoming foray into the retail store business? Was it Zune? Xbox?

Yes, Microsoft is breaking *new ground* all over the place. THE INNOVATION FROM REDMOND IS ASTOUNDING!

February 20 2009 at 6:21 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Silver's comment
foodmetaphors

Musta been Songsmith

February 20 2009 at 6:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
chefgon_ign

Their new Cloud Computing platform, independent movie publishing on Xbox Live, and Silverlight.

February 20 2009 at 10:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Hawkman

Can't argue with #1. But Google way up there, seriously? I guess they do a lot, but so little that's successful, really... And the second innovation listed for them, Chrome, is really more of an Apple thing; Google just commissioned someone to draw some pretty pictures. These guys ought to do their research!

February 20 2009 at 6:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Hawkman's comment
wheels

With 5 Cabinet appointees who have gotten sucked down the drain, you bet you bippy I can argue with #1.

February 21 2009 at 12:03 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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