All the Microsoft polishing in the past few years appears to be working for the software giant as a new survey showed the Windows maker is fast-gaining on the cool factor, thanks mainly to the revamped operating system and the recently issued Surface tablet.

According to Reuters, close to 50 per cent of young Americans viewed Microsoft as hipper than before, picking up on the wow department from last year's general consumer sentiments on popular tech companies.

The result was based on a study conducted by Ipsos that polled 853 youngsters between the age of 18 and 29.

It returned a surprising indicator that Microsoft, normally the subject of ridicule among the young generation, is gradually attracting respect and affection that in the past year were reserved only to the Steve Jobs-led Apple.

Incidentally, the iPhone maker seems to be losing its mojo, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak told Bloomberg this week, but the Reuters-sponsored survey suggests otherwise.

For producing the trendsetting gadgets - like the iPad, the iPad Mini, the iPhone and the iPod - Apple captured the approval of some 60 per cent respondents who believed the tech titan remains a force to reckon with in the cool arena.

However, Apple is not the coolest tech player in town. Google it is, Reuters said.

The internet search giant, the very same company that gives Apple lots of headaches these days because it allows the use of Android on hundreds of millions of mobile devices in active circulation, tops the list.

Seven out of 10 young Americans look up to Google with considerable affection, the study said.

Back to Microsoft, the study highlights the company's recent hardware efforts - the new Surface slates, the Xbox gaming console and its gesture-sensitive Kinect accessory - as the prime reasons it was able to reconnect with a younger audience.

Ironically, Surface has yet to register impressive numbers for Microsoft since its launch late last year. So far, total sales of the Windows 8-powered tablet have yet to breach the one million mark.

Notwithstanding, the company managed to upstage another brand name that dominates the everyday activities of millions around the world - Facebook.

While 90 per cent of those polled have admitted that they use Facebook regularly, only 42 per cent called the social media site a cool name to be associated with.