A bit long, but gives you a good idea about why Apple is Apple.

http://www.cultofmac.com/113454/before-apple-after-how-apple-has-led-the-tech-industry-every-step-of-the-way-gallery/

For the last thirty five years, time after time, Apple has revolutionized the way we look at technology and dragged the rest of the industry kicking and screaming into the future. If we listed all the ways in which Apple has changed the way we interact with technology, we could fill a book, so here are some of our favorite examples of how Apple has led the tech industry every step of the way.