Just before writing this article, I read two articles that compared the latest operating systems from Apple and Microsoft. The results were contradictory, and that’s to be expected when different people express their points of view. But having worked with the El Capitan public beta and the presumed final version of Windows 10, I have my own ideas. I caution you, however, that El Capitan is still two or three months from public release, so it’s apt to be shaky. But the most serious bugs in Windows 10 should have been fixed by now, since it has been officially released.

The biggest argument in favor of Windows 10 is that it’s closer in concept to Windows 7, and thus a more comfortable fit for most Windows users. As a result, there’s not much of a learning curve, and most things work pretty smoothly, although reviewers have run into more glitches than you might expect.

So Walt Mossberg of Re/code writes of his concerns with ongoing defects, particularly with the Cortana, the virtual digital assistant, a tentpole feature. While Cortana is not exactly new for Microsoft, it’s troubling that voice recognition quality remains hit or miss. From reading Mossberg’s experiences, it appears to be much worse than the early days of Siri.

But one of the comparisons between Windows 10 and El Capitan gives the former an advantage because of Cortana. Don’t forget that Apple was experimenting with voice recognition schemes on Macs back in the 1990s, starting with PlainTalk. It was quite simple compared to what Siri can manage nowadays, but it was always a tough sell to put such a feature on a desktop Mac. I see the value for those with disabilities, but otherwise it doesn’t pass the logic test, particularly in an office environment. Yes, it’s a personal computer, but far less of a personal device than a smartphone or a tablet, where digital assistants are more useful.

Yet another perceived advantage of Windows 10 is Continuum, a feature that allows the interface to adapt itself to use with a mouse or a touchscreen. I can see that as useful in the PC world, where laptops might be used both ways, although a situation where one is either unaware of the change, or fails to switch, is apt to cause confusion. But even when it works, it’s not applicable to Apple, which doesn’t make convertible PCs. So how does it become an advantage? The mind boggles!

Without an actual test to evaluate the Edge browser against Safari 9, the El Capitan version, it’s not really possible to suggest one is actually better than the other under normal use. Being able to scribble on a web page and send it off to someone, however, seems a thoroughly useless feature, the sort of thing that might sound relevant to software engineers who are out of touch with the real world, but hardly an advantage.

Integration with the Xbox game controller might also be an advantage if Apple had a comparable product, which they don’t. Perhaps the next Apple TV, although nothing is certain.

Now where the comparisons might have a point is multitasking, but it’s mixed. Apple’s Split View, similar to a feature that’s been available in Windows for a while, puts two app/document windows side by side. Windows 10 can manage four, but is that truly an advantage? Unless you have a large display, such as the one on a 27-inch iMac, that’s questionable. Otherwise it may generate clutter. And don’t forget how Microsoft’s new window management scheme is reminiscent of OS X’s Mission control, and the virtual desktop feature matches OS X’s Spaces. Well, except for the fact that Windows 10 virtual desktops don’t appear to survive a restart.

But that’s the problem with comparisons of this sort. They lack nuance, and it’s too easy to look at a feature on a bullet point list and claim it’s an advantage, when it may not be.

My feeling is that Windows 10 isn’t so much an argument for switching from a Mac. Rather, it’s an argument for staying with Windows, particularly after the Windows 8/8.1 debacle. By looking back, and ditching some of the worst junk from Windows 8, Microsoft has delivered an OS that is smooth and comfortable for most users. If the early bugs can be quickly eradicated, and it passes muster in the enterprise, businesses might even be tempted to eventually replace Windows 7, or Windows XP for that matter.

Will Windows 10 sell more PCs? Probably not at first, although PCs with Windows 10 are now available. However, it’s also a free upgrade for users of Windows 7 or later, at least for the first year. Since any decent PC purchased in the last few years will work fine with Windows 10, absent any driver issues, there’s little incentive to buy a new PC. At least the incentive to downgrade a new PC to Windows 7 may no longer be quite as compelling.

As it stands, PC sales are down. Perhaps Windows 10 will boost sales during the holiday season. Right now, however, the most profitable segment of the PC market belongs to Apple. That’s not something that’s apt to change, and overwrought feature comparisons between Windows 10 and El Capitan won’t make a difference in the real world.

An unknown number of beta testers are now eligible to receive prerelease versions of OS X El Capitan and iOS 9. So far, there have been three releases of the OS X public beta and two releases of the iOS public beta, compared to five betas of El Capitan and four betas of iOS 9 for registered developers. The process is clearly moving quickly, and it’s reported by some developers that beta five fixes a number of serious glitches with the next OS X.

But Apple doesn’t make it easy for developers or public beta testers. Members of Apple’s developer program can download a sparse set of release notes for each update, but those receiving the public beta receive little or no information about the state of the release. There is no comprehensive listing, at least outside of Apple’s developer team, indicating what was fixed and, except for a few serious issues, what still needs to be addressed.

It’s not that Apple doesn’t make it easy to report problems. There’s a Feedback Assistant app for public beta testers, and a developer’s have a place to report bugs. It’s a one-way-street for the former, generally with no response from Apple. Developers will reportedly hear from Apple when more information is required.

Developers may receive information about the things that ought to be tested in a forthcoming release, but again it’s all delivered in a very general way, without the necessary specifics to see why those things ought to be tested.

I’m of mixed minds about the value of the public beta. While reaching a wider range of testers is a good things, a lot of people don’t take it seriously enough. They will reveal problems to others, and sometimes even review the prerelease product and criticize it because of the bugs you expect in beta software. One blogger even attacked Apple for poor quality control because of the reports of problems with El Capitan. I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.

I realize Apple wants to make the beta test process as simple as possible for the public. So the warnings are brief and the non-disclosure cautions are basic, although Apple points you to a longer document. In short, if Apple has publicized a feature, it’s all right to mention it to people outside the beta program. Apple has released a decent amount of information about both El Capitan and iOS 9, so you have a fair amount of leeway. Otherwise don’t say anything about it, which means don’t write a review, and don’t post your opinions on your Twitter or Face-book accounts, as common examples.

And be sure to have a recent backup at hand in case things go wrong and you need to restore your Mac or iOS gadget.

Now it’s not that Apple is apt to clamp down on public beta testers unless they actually post the prerelease software or screenshots. Developers who break the rules, however, may find themselves tossed out of the program, and Apple would have the perfect right to take appropriate action.

Regardless, I see message boards on Mac-oriented web sites with all sorts of information about the beta process, including long lists of fixed bugs, and the bugs that were discovered or haven’t been addressed. Technically, the testers are speaking out of turn. On the other hand, maybe Apple should take advantage of all that interest, and set up a public beta discussion board for testers to exchange views. Assign a few moderators to make sure things don’t get out of hand, and maybe even respond to frequent reports of problems.

It’s not that Apple can keep any of this out of the hands of competitors. They are all free to join the developer program, which costs $99 per year, or sign up for the public beta. Nothing about the new operating systems is therefore a secret to anyone. It’s all out there, and Apple might profit from taking advantage of all that attention.

At the same time, there ought to be a central repository listing the status of known problems, so it’s easy for any tester to figure out whether they are all alone in their grief, or if Apple is aware of the bug and is working on a solution.

Unfortunately, the Yosemite beta program didn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy about the process. It should have resulted in a more stable release, but it doesn’t seem to have worked out that way. Don’t forget the Wi-Fi bugs that essentially persisted until the 10.10.4 update was released a few weeks ago. I can’t believe for a moment those problems weren’t noticed and reported by testers last year ahead of the original Yosemite Golden Master (I never had the problem). It doesn’t matter, really, why, only that Apple should have been aware of the problem way before Yosemite was finalized.

One key reason for this unfortunate lack of information is Apple’s penchant for secrecy. That makes sense when it’s about the next iPhone, the possibility of an iPad Pro, the feature set of the next Apple TV, or something wonderful in a whole new category. But when the operating systems are free, and just about anyone with an Apple ID can get the prerelease version, getting a full picture about the state of the beta product and it’s progress isn’t going to give away the goods to the competition. They already know what’s going on.

Microsoft definitely could use some good news. Their most recent financials weren’t so impressive, particularly the need to take a $7.6 billion dollar writedown because of the foolish decision to buy Nokia’s handset division. By foolish, I mean the fact that the division wasn’t doing so well before the acquisition. So by what leap of logic did Microsoft believe that it would make any sense to take it over, except to save some money?

Certainly, the thousands of former Nokia employees who are finding themselves without jobs must be wondering whether it was all worth it. Had things been left alone, maybe they’d still have jobs, or perhaps most of them would.

But the real attention Microsoft is getting these days is focused on the forthcoming Windows 10. Already some early reviews are coming out, and certainly the details are not secret. Anyone who becomes part of the beta program, dubbed Windows Insider, already has a copy, and the latest build is said to be the one declared “release to manufacturing,” Microsoft’s equivalent of the “gold master.” In other words, the final release. Or at least the final release until the first update is available.

As to the excitement, I wonder. I saw one article at a major tech site demonstrating how you could make Windows 10 “feel” like Windows 7. If that’s what people want, why not stick with Windows 7? I’ll be gracious and not name the site in question. But that seems to have been a key goal of Microsoft’s newest OS, which is to deliver an experience that, for regular users of portable and desktop PCs, more closely sticks with tradition.

That starts with the Start menu. I’ve long had concerns about a feature that’s also used to restart or shut down a PC, but that’s just me. It’s mostly a convenient place to start things, but Microsoft, in its infinite lack of wisdom, chose to essentially throw it out for Windows 8. Hit with a torrent of negative feedback that almost anyone familiar with Windows should have anticipated, Microsoft partly walked it back for Windows 8.1, but I wonder why they didn’t go all the way. After all, there were third party utilities that did just that, and I suppose Microsoft could have acquired one and let it do its thing.

Regardless, Microsoft is making a huge deal of offering an old fashioned Windows user experience, and the few major changes in Windows 10 seem to be designed to enhance that experience. But just as Apple is accused of “borrowing” features from other platforms, and the Split View feature of OS X El Capitan is a key example, Microsoft took some hints from Apple. There’s window management reminiscent of OS X’s Mission Control, and a virtual desktop feature that smacks of OS X’s Spaces, and similar features found in Linux.

A key new feature is controversial, and that’s Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant and the direct competitor to Apple’s Siri. But Apple has opted not to put Siri on Macs, partly because it makes less sense. Imagine users in an office environment announcing commands to their computers out loud, and Microsoft earns a hefty share of Windows income from the enterprise. So if system admins opt to upgrade to Windows 10 — and that’s not at all certain — no doubt Cortana will be kept off, or it will be banned in an office memo.

Another tentpole feature is Edge, the slimmer, sleeker replacement for Internet Explorer. It’s built on a fork of the same Trident engine, and it appears to be a credible upgrade, although it’s not been demonstrated yet that it’s actually that much better. But Internet Explorer hasn’t received the love over the years, and Microsoft is known to take something that isn’t doing well, give it a shave and haircut, and a new name. The Bing search engine comes to mind.

All well and good. A recent published report of a late Windows 10 beta indicated performance mostly in tune with Windows 8. With all the complaints about Windows 8, performance did not appear to be an issue.

Now another significant feature, according to Microsoft, is Continuum, the ability to adapt to a touch-oriented interface if you use a tablet, or a convertible PC. That would, on the surface, seem to be a sensible move, but it could also be the source of confusion. So customers who are used to one way of doing things, and Windows 10 attempts to restore the familiarity of the OS, would suddenly find things working differently. That could be the root of all sorts of technical support complications.

The other potential cause of trouble is the promise of ongoing updates. This will be the last version of Windows, or at least the last for the time being. Feature enhancements and bug fixes will happen on an ongoing basis, and I can see that causing potential havoc for IT people. Not only will they have to test service packs, but updates that contain feature changes or improvements too.

For now, however, businesses will no doubt take a wait and see attitude. My personal experience with the supposed release version has been reasonably pleasant. There do not seem to be any notable show stoppers. If you’re a Windows user, you should be pretty comfortable there. It’s not exciting, but it’s a good way to feel after the Windows 8/8.1 disaster.

As you know, it’s quite normal for someone to switch products if you’re not satisfied. If your current car isn’t exciting you, or perhaps you’re sick and tired of all those trips to the repair shop, you’ll pick a different brand next time. Perhaps you just want to try something new, or if you received a bonus from your employer, and you’ve discovered a great lease offer on a luxury car, you may be tempted to take the plunge.

Most of you probably upgrade your smartphones every couple of years. So it’s not uncommon to switch to a different brand. Or even a different platform. So there are people who switch to an iPhone and others who switch from the iPhone to an Android phone, such as one from Samsung. Of course, nobody has to justify their decision. It’s a matter of personal preference, budget, or the availability of a gadget that strikes your fancy.

But some tech bloggers have decided that articles threatening to quit a product or platform, or actually quitting, constitute something significant. It the decision was somehow forced upon them by a buggy product or service, it is granted more significance than just a casual decision.

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