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A quick overview of the features include that Apple can innovate Hardware, and combine Software and hardware together. Many of these innovations are not possible in the Wintel world.
Floppy
Apple made a floppy drive that prevents you from destroying data by using a computer controlled eject mechanism. The computer spits out the disk ONLY after it has updated all the information. On PC's it is possible to remove the disk before it has written the information, or worse while the information is being written.
Apples floppy also held 15% more data than anyone else, and was the first 3 1/2 inch floppy in popular use. Apple decided that compatibility and cost was more important than 15% more data, and so went to standard formatting.
Because of Mac's software ejection mechanism, it can have a write Cache for the floppy (to speed up performance). If Wintel were to do the same thing, the likelihood of losing data (due to unexpected ejecting) would be even higher.
Keyboard
Apple brought some innovations to a keyboard including a Power-Key which allows users to turn on and off the machine from the keyboard (and programmers access to debuggers).
Apple has innovated with split ergonomic adjustable keyboards. MS later copied with their keyboard, but MS's keyboard is at a fixed angle.
Apple created the "Command-Key" (the little clover/apple key) that allows actions, but still leaves the standard modifier keys alone (control and option). MS has copied this with their Windows Key, but for the most part they can not exploit this since the majority of their users will NOT have these keys. Some of Apple's keyboards even support sound options.
Audio
Apple brought the most innovations to computer audio. Including Sound input and output in all computers gave the Mac many sound functions. Windows has sound blaster support, but all apps (& the OS) must first check if their is sound or not, and how to support it. Because Macs ALL support sound, most applications do as well. Sound support is much better than with Windows apps.
Networking/Communications
Apple included Networking in early Macintoshes (AppleTalk), and later included ethernet in many machines. Apple has also done innovations in communications hardware.
Mouse
Apple helped create the mouse as we know it. Research had been done at Xerox-PARC (which apple was an early sponsor of), but the mouse had not been brought to the mainstream before Apple. Apple decided that a mouse would make a computer easier to use. Furthermore they revised the design, made a reliable mechanism, simplified the user interface, and created many of the ways we work with a mouse today.
Apple created the single button mouse and the concepts of double-clicking, dragging, and the use of modifier keys.
USB / ADB
Apple created ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) ,which is a serial bus for having many devices plugged in on the same port. Then Apple allowed it to be standardized - NeXT and Sun used ADB as well as Apple. This all started in 1985.
Intel has finally gotten around to copying the idea with USB, which is a direct rip-off of the ADB concept - only a little faster. (Apple also used an addressable serial port protocol for early Macs, so that users could connect many serial devices on the same serial port - but it never took off).
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