On: Apple increased R&D spending by $1 billion in 2012

[tensor]

Most of Apple's innovations are not publishable as science papers. In contrast, IBMs innovations are routinely of publishable kind. Microsoft, HP, and Google also do a lot of "hard" computer science or engineering work.

Apple's UI and integration innovations not nearly in the same class as those of the others. That's not to say Apple doesn't help society, or that it's not creative. But it's certainly not doing the same type of work as the others. In fact, many of the technologies that Apple has purchased, such as Siri, would not exist without lots of funding into solving the harder problems.

[sliverstorm → tensor]

In fact, many of the technologies that Apple has purchased, such as Siri, would not exist without lots of funding into solving the harder problems.

That doesn't mean they wouldn't like to take all the credit for it ;)

[CrankyPants → sliverstorm]

You can do better.