During the 1980's and 1990's, Microsoft was one of the most powerful and influential companies in the world of technology and computers; their Windows operating systems were by far the most commonly-used operating systems in computers, and many people even joked about how they were attempting world domination, comparing them (humorously, of course) to the Nazis or the borg from Star Trek. In contrast, Apple was a much more minor company, with its operating systems being used far less frequently than Microsoft's, so the company branded itself as the cool and edgy alternative, the underdog compared to the mainstream Microsoft.
However, starting (approximately) in the 2000's, Apple started to become much more powerful and influential, with its products becoming much more popular, to the point that it now rivals Microsoft as one of the most powerful and influential companies in the world of technology. Microsoft's position certainly has not diminished, but it no longer is without competition, since Apple's products are now as ubiquitous as Microsoft's.
I lived through this great transition, but I still am wondering why and how it happened. How did Apple become so powerful and influential in the past decade or so? What did they do differently that helped them to achieve the status that they now have?
As a side note, I first saw those images to which I linked above back when I was in high school, from 2001 to 2005, but I only just now noticed that Bill Gates is giving the middle finger in the second one; did anyone else notice that?