At market close today, Microsoft (MSFT) had a market value of $201.59 billion. The market value of Intel (INTC) stands at $115.21 billion.

Microsoft’s Windows combined with Intel forms the portmanteau “Wintel,” which refers to personal computers that, when they’re working, can most charitably be described as upside-down and backwards Macs with weak immune systems.

So, add ’em both up and you find that “Wintel” is worth $316.8 billion. As you might imagine, we’ve been watching these values with anticipation for quite some time and today, for the first time (ever?), the closing value of Apple (AAPL) $317.60 billion exceeded that of Wintel. Just in time to make a nice slide for somebody’s WWDC keynote address (hint, hint).

Longtime Mac users, gaze at the headline, let it wash over you, and bathe in some of the purest Schadenfreude ever concocted.

This milestone reminds us of a quote uttered 13 lucky years ago:

What I can’t figure out is why he [Steve Jobs] is even trying [to be the CEO of Apple]? He knows he can’t win. – Bill Gates, June 1998

Smirk.