based on products: Apple or Google?

Definitely Google, I love how they've literally made an OS on the web. You literally open up your browser (Google Chrome for me) and go to Google.com and you have everything... EVERYTHING.

Just to name a few, Google search, Google Docs, Gmail, Google Calendar, Maps, Images, and more recently Youtube and so much more.

I love how on my Android phone, anything I edit syncs instantly to my Google Account, and vice versa. Bookmarks, Contacts, Calendar Events etc. If I get an email while the phone is in my pocket, I can check it on my computer and the notification magically disappears off of my phone. And if I lose my phone, or damage it in some way, I just put my Google Account info in and voila! it's all back on my phone again.

For Google are the masters of the Cloud, none of your info is merely on one device, even your browser bookmarks and settings can be synced up to more than one computer, and seamlessly edited just like your phone. And Google literally is the Cloud, they're all around the world! They've mapped almost the entire globe, streets and all, indexed the entire net and are host to the biggest video sharing site in existence.

There is my answer, it's interesting that you mention Apple alongside Google, as they share a lot of similarities, the one that comes to mind right away is their simple aesthetic.

While the Yahoo Homepage is somewhat cluttered:

the Google aesthetic is simple, clean and to the point, much like Apple's design cues:

I personally like Google. I really like how most of their services are free, and they have great api's as well. In my opinion, Apple charges too much for everything that they produce, and most of their products are too locked down.

It is difficult to pick a winner between two such companies. I give my answer as a fan of the Chrome OS notebook, Chrome as a browser, and even many of Google's web applications.

Apple.

I'm just being honest. There is no company that has created such a cohesive, tightly knit ecosystem of devices that simply work well together. Apple products which make it to the market are polished, the best of their kind, and truly define quality.

That being said, I don't like them because they don't let me hack my devices. I like to hack away at my own devices without breaking licensing agreements.

I'd pick Google over Apple any day of the week! But that doesn't mean I like Google in even the slightest, other than their browser, but even that reeks of data mining...

I'd rather use Linux than any of the above.. :D

For me it is Apple. If I had to explain why we would be here all day. Thats not to say I dislike Google, because I don't. I think its also good to remember that both companies products are very different and aimed at different audiences.

Please do not compare Google to Apple. These companies are completely different. Google is still the best search engine (Bing is really good too), but Apple makes the best computers...