Microsoft Windows 8 compare

Microsoft makes an aggressive, forward-thinking, and bold statement for the future of PCs with Windows 8, and vast security and speed improvements more than justify the $40 upgrade price.

Windows 7 is more than what Vista should have been, it's where Microsoft needed to go. How much damage Vista did and whether Windows 7 is enough for people to finally abandon Windows XP are questions that nobody has the answers to right now.

Chrome OS struggles with the delineation between apps and Web sites, even though they are fast growing together. Great for students and casual home use, the day is coming when it'll be competitive, but it's not yet a replacement for a more mature OS.

Windows RT is a strange beast. On the one hand, speed, security, and the best of Windows 8 make RT a pleasure to use. But app restrictions make Windows RT confusing, and the limited availability of apps undercuts the operating system's usefulness.