Many so-called "altcoins" have attempted to improve on Bitcoin's technology, so that by itself doesn't make Ethereum stand out from the pack.

Let's trot out a second analogy. Imagine Bitcoin is a calculator. It's good at what it does, but that's it. You can't really extend it to new & interesting use cases. It will always be a calculator. Tried & true, through & through.

Ethereum, on the other hand, is an Excel spreadsheet with macros. You can use it as a simple calculator, but it's so much more. Budget planners, calendars, expense reports, shipping lists, project timelines... these are but a small sampling of what can be done with spreadsheets. Add in macros (bits of programming script that allow spreadsheet behavior to be customized to a large degree) and the sky's the limit.