Last year when Mountain Lion and Windows 8 were released, I wrote a piece comparing the Mac and Windows operating systems, and concluded that Apple took the better path by keeping its tablet and desktop operating systems separate. With Windows 8 Microsoft gave its operating system a complete makeover, asking that people change the way they use their computers. Now that the two operating systems have updated with Mac OS X Mavericks and Windows 8.1, I thought I should take another look at both to see if the update did anything to change my mind.

For full disclosure, I primarily cover iOS and Mac software here at CNET including both operating systems, but that doesn't mean I know nothing about Windows. I've covered Windows software extensively here at CNET, including when Windows 8 first launched, and have been the primary reviewer of Microsoft Office since 2010. I also have a Windows 8 gaming rig at home that serves as my main home computer.

In other words, I am no stranger to Windows and use Windows 8 on a daily basis, which is why I haven't changed my perspective much since the last ma... [Read more]