This enthusiast is of the opinion that Windows 8.1 is far better than Windows 7. This enthusiast would also never consider rolling back to Windows 7. I will say this though, Windows 7 was one of the best operating systems released by Microsoft. Ranks No.2 in my book.
I basically agree on that too...
My take on it all.
Windows XP... these days looks and feels very dated but it did the job. It was an OS of its time but rapidly developing hardware left it trailing.
Vista... ah Vista. The one with the wow factor. I loved Vista, it was different, it ran essentially very smoothly (and unless you have used it, don't be prejudiced against it). Very stable, and it looked great.
Windows 7... the one everyone seems to like although I never warmed to it. I always considered W7 to be a continuation of Vista, but with Vistas' quirks and minor issues not fixed but simply removed. I cite the folder customisation (placement and folder views)as a classic example. Vista was streets ahead, but rather than fix the minor issues the level of customisation Vista offered was removed from W7. OK, the libraries were great... granted... but I just never took to W7 as an OS.
W8... I tried the preview that was available at the time and didn't get on with it tbh. There were unsolvable hardware/driver issues that were a stumbling lock and so I never really got chance to get into it all.
W8.1... Well just recently I gave the latest W8 version (Enterprise W8.1) a real trial and found most of the issues I had encountered with W8 were fixed. Maybe all those bug reports really did do some good and someone was reading all the complaints and issues. I was so impressed with how it all ran and installed that I voted with my wallet and bought the retail version of W8.1 a month ago. I don't regret it one little bit. Its way ahead of W7 as an OS in IMHO and such things as the fast start are worth their weight in gold. The start menu, once you realise what you can do with it, makes the old W7/Vista start menus look really dated and restricted.
W9... well it will be different I'm sure, but as always there will be some that like it, some that don't, and some that "just don't get it" and so on.
Just my two penneth on it all