Innovation
RE: "Personally I feel that Microsoft's biggest innovation has been integration - of applications (Office ...)"
Sorry. I think ClarisWorks for Mac & Windows ($99) was the driving innovation here. MS office is actually several independent programs with a few cross-importation links.
ClarisWorks functions by producing a smart document with built in WP, Spreadsheet, DB, Draw, Paint, and Communications capabilities. The database, for instance, is a sub-set of the popular FileMaker program. The drop down menus change options and the cursor changes icon as the cursor hovers over different kinds of user defined territory in the document: text, table, image, or link. It is so user friendly that even a mere office mortal can use it. Microsoft is still evolving along these lines.
I must say, however, that for the true power user, MS Office has more features, if you can find them. (The independent modules lack a common interface theme and there is no interface at all for the linking mode as yet.) But, Office is very well marketed as an innovation, if that counts for anything.
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