Are Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc (GOOG), and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Switching Hats?

Is Microsoft the new Google?
This last question may seem like the cheap attempt to close the circle, but it is more apt than it might appear at first blush. Within the last several years, Google was a new entrant to the smartphone and tablet markets, trying to make a name for itself. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which was once the king of tech in its own right, is trying to return to prominence. With new devices like the Surface Pro and RT tablets, as well as its aggressive marketing for Windows 8, Microsoft has made a full-frontal attack on the market in its quest to return to relevance.

While you may have a hard time remembering it, not long ago, the consensus was that Google Android had no chance of competing with iOS. It now controls more than two-thirds of the market. Similar comments have been made about Windows mobile and the viability of the Surface concept (a hybrid of a laptop and tablet). IWe may all wake up one day and realize that Microsoft has reclaimed the top spot.

Shifting concerns
Despite these shifting roles within the industry, there are compelling reasons to own each of the three. Apple continues to be a behemoth despite its troubles, and represents a great value here. Google is firing on all cylinders and its expanding businesses suggest that it may avoid replicating Apple’s cataclysmic fall. Microsoft is gathering momentum and making things interesting. Overall, these technology options should all have a place in your portfolio.

The article Are Apple, Google, and Microsoft Switching Hats? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Doug Ehrman.

Fool contributor Doug Ehrman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.