I think they’ve caught on.

The other day I said I felt sorry for Microsoft because they had to contend with so many variables in terms of hardware and that this was a factor in why their OS is so, um, wonky. It turns out that they might have realized this as well if this leaked memo is any indication.

In the competition between PCs and Macs, we outsell Apple 30-to-1. But there is no doubt that Apple is thriving. Why? Because they are good at providing an experience that is narrow but complete, while our commitment to choice often comes with some compromises to the end-to-end experience. Today, we’re changing the way we work with hardware vendors to ensure that we can provide complete experiences with absolutely no compromises. We’ll do the same with phones—providing choice as we work to create great end-to-end experiences.

Whether this works out under Steve “Developers, Developers, Developers” Ballmer is open to debate. If Microsoft can convince manufacturers to follow a specific course is also open to debate. Apple, like it or not, controls the whole show. It may mean less choice (though the only thing that I’m unhappy about is that they don’t manufacture a mid-range desktop computer. iMacs are nice and all, but I just want that power in a box so I can hook up any monitor I want and the Mac Mini? Really?) but it means a better experience all around. Apple always says “It just works” and that’s not always true but more times than not, it is. It’s also allowed them to build their brand by being in control of the whole aesthetic. My lady laughs at me when I say something like this, but it fits a lifestyle and that’s where they really gain the ground.