Win 8 was a step into unknown territory, so it's likely the second OS in this space will be better...

Under the hood, Win 8 is more sophisticated and powerful, but has the interface that drives you mad. Metro and gestures are powerful, only if you have a touchscreen. Hence the 8.1 update for all those who don't.

Hopefully, the trend will continue, and Windows 9 will be the synthesis of the best of both worlds.