Often seen as the software king, Microsoft's (MSFT  ) foray into the world of hardware devices has not always been successful, to say the least. Its Surface Tablet launch about five years ago didn't resonate well with an audience that was already captivated by the likes of Apple (AAPL  ) iPhones and iPads.

Moreover, Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia (NOK  ), an almost dying breed, resulted in a $7.6 billion write-off that exacerbated the existing $900 million write-off Microsoft had pending from unsold Surface tablets. In terms of the video-gaming industry as well, while the Xbox One held its ground for a while, it eventually succumbed to Sony's PlayStation 4 in an increasingly competitive market.

Most of these scenarios represented a pattern in Microsoft's attempts to diversify into markets that were already dominated by a household name specializing in that industry. That's not to say that Microsoft didn't do well in its respective endeavors, the Xbox One still sold around 10 million units, it's just that after a while, there aren't too many benefits to always finishing in second place.

© Marco Verch / Flickr.com

Yet, despite this, Microsoft seems to have come out on top in one critical area: computers. While this may not be a glaringly obvious insight, the fact of the matter is that Microsoft has set for itself a creative path that will allow it to far surpass Apple in the future.

For instance, its Surface Studio big-screen desktop can turn into a "digital drafting table," which would be invaluable in a start-up space that requires fluidity and creativity. The Surface Pro may have also been the inspiration for the iPad Pro, proving that Apple may have run low on creative juice. This is further solidified by the fact that the MacBook Pro hasn't had perceptible changes made to it in a long time, to the extent that pro-users have begun to lodge complaints. Moreover, Microsoft's Surface Laptop seems like a better, more modern version of the Mac Air, which Apple has left mainly unaltered over the years. At this rate, Microsoft's innovations and more proactive corporate culture has positioned it to be far more successful in the coming years.

"I think Microsoft has recognized over the last couple years that maybe the creative community isn't as locked into the Mac as many people think it is," said Jan Dawson, an independent technology analyst. "There's this window of opportunity for Surface to get in there, and even if that window closes with some of Apple's upcoming devices, I don't think Apple has that market locked up."

This innovation in hardware, coupled with business-oriented software such as PowerApps and Flow that can be exclusively integrated into Microsoft's own PCs as a complementary product. This would boost sales of these computers in the market for large companies and establish a corporate tech hallmark of sorts, which may just allow Microsoft to get its foot in the door to access a much larger market.

"It's unlikely that Microsoft's PC hardware business will beat Apple's any time soon," New York Times tech columnist Farhad Manjoo writes. "But anyone who cares about the future of the PC should be thrilled that Apple now faces a serious and creative competitor."