Apple and Microsoft have pushed the desktop into sharply different directions this year: macOS Tahoe bets on a curated, privacy‑first, design‑led desktop infused with on‑device AI, while Windows 11 continues to trade on hardware variety, backward compatibility, and a rapidly expanding set of cloud‑enabled AI services. The PCMag Australia comparison lays out this split cleanly across hardware, multitasking, input methods, AI assistants, and gaming — and the practical takeaway is the same one...