Quality is actually a great illustration of your original point, though. Apple recently went to great lengths to redesign the MacBook keyboard for no good reason. As if compromising the key feel for many (most?) users just to shave a millimeter or two off an already very thin device wasn't enough, it turns out that the new keyboards have some serious reliability issues[1] and repairs cost $700. I think John Gruber said it best: "I find these keyboards — specifically, the tales of woe about keys getting stuck or ceasing to work properly — a deeply worrisome sign about Apple’s priorities today."

While the Surface line has had its reliability issues (especially Surface 4), rumor has it that the omission of USB-C from the latest Surfaces was part of a deliberate effort to focus on refining the current design (and improving its reliability) rather than adding new features and risking creating even more issues. They also have a point that USB-C isn't quite ready for prime time and I can't say I miss it having recently switched from a MacBook to a Surface Pro.

I'm not saying that these companies should stop trying to innovate (far from it). What I'm seeing is a big difference in priorities, and I'm not a fan of Apple's of late -- too much focus on design ideals and not enough on things that actually help me get my work done.

[1] https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/10/17/johnston-macboo...