I'm not really a Windows 8 hater, but honestly I can understand that some people do. My neighbor has been complaining about Windows 8 since she got her new computer about a year ago. I performed the free 8.1 upgrade for her a few days ago, and along with a few setting changes, it makes the look and feel much closer to Windows 7.
The upgrade process is very straightforward, though it is always prudent to make sure you have recovery media and a recent backup of critical documents, etc. There are a variety of online articles describing the update process (I used the PC Magazine one). There is also a Microsoft supplied Upgrade Assistant, which I did not use.
To be clear, if you have a PC with an official version of Windows 8 you should consider the free upgrade to 8.1. If you are running Windows 7 (or even Vista) there is probably no compelling reason to upgrade unless you happen to have touch compatible hardware. In the unlikely event you are running the Windows RT version of Windows 8, do more research before upgrading.
