The microwave oven certainly has many legitimate uses, but baking potatoes (or anything else) is not one of them. Sure, you can cook a whole potato in the microwave, but what you get is a steamed/boiled potato. The crispy skin and fluffy interior of the genuine baked potato require a long cooking in dry heat. Dry heat is the very definition of baking!

And be sure to use the right kind of potato, russet or Idaho. Their high starch level and low moisture give a light and fluffy result, and the thick skin gets nice and crisp. "Boiling" potatoes such as red bliss and Yukon gold do not bake up as well.