Microsoft just doesn’t have a consistent, coherent and unified brand. Every section looks and feels different. There is no global navigation and there are not many visual clues that tell the user that this is a Microsoft site — unlike Apple, where the whole site shares one unique aesthetic that mirrors that of their hardware and software, thus creating a powerful brand. For these reasons, I think Apple is the clear winner here.

Not that a study was necessary. We all know Apple just gets usability and Microsoft… well… sucks at life.