To understand one of the biggest differences between Microsoft and Apple nowadays, look no further than the Mac maker's surprise introduction of a new "Magic Mouse" this morning. The device features a multi-touch surface that lets people interact with their computers by moving and dragging their fingers across the top. It's "the world's first multi-touch mouse," proclaims Apple in its news release.

Well, that's sorta true. A group of Microsoft researchers actually demonstrated exactly the same concept -- and more -- in a series of multi-touch mouse prototypes presented at the User Interface Software and Technology conference in Victoria, B.C., just a couple weeks ago.

The critical difference: Apple's mouse is headed for store shelves. Microsoft's mice are still in the lab.

Of course, the multi-touch mouse isn't exactly the biggest breakthrough in 21st Century computing. Equipping mice with these capabilities is a logical next step as multi-touch technologies become more and more mainstream -- as evidenced by the fact that both companies came up with the same idea, apparently independently.

But the situation illustrates one of the biggest bad habits Microsoft will need to overcome if it wants to remain at the center of the technology industry. Even in cases where it was first to dream up a technology, the company has allowed itself to be beaten to market by competitors.

A few years ago, this happened with Windows itself. Jim Allchin, the retired Windows chief, once told me in an interview that he believed Apple was watching closely when Microsoft unveiled Windows Vista, then known as Longhorn, at its Professional Developers Conference in October 2003. Allchin asserted that Apple then mimicked, in the release of Mac OS X Tiger, some of the key features it saw in Longhorn -- fueling claims that Microsoft was copying Apple by the time the Redmond company got around to releasing Vista in 2007.

Of course, the mouse market pales in comparison to operating systems. Microsoft could easily now bring one or more of its multi-touch mice to market, relatively quickly, and it might find a decent audience among Windows PC users. At the same time, it would only reinforce the perception that Microsoft is a follower, not a leader.

Microsoft prides itself on its large Microsoft Research unit, with hundreds of researchers exploring practically every area of computer science, contributing to the world's knowledge in a wide range of technical subjects. And in recent years, the company has taken a series of steps to further close the gap between Microsoft Research and its product groups.

Make no mistake, Microsoft Research is doing important and interesting work. But the more this happens, the more you have to wonder whether the larger company, in the long run, isn't at risk of studying itself into oblivion.

Apple says the Magic Mouse will come with new iMacs and sell separately for $69. The introduction of the mouse is part of a broader refresh of Apple's Mac lineup in advance of Thursday's Windows 7 release by Microsoft.