It's been years since I used a Mac, liked them then, but had to switch to PC for programs I needed for work that did not run on Mac.
I'm behind the times, but check that all of your programs and EQUIPMENT, scanners, printers and the like will work with the MAC.
SAME for Windows 8. My printer was not compatible with Win 8... There were NO drivers anywhere that would make it work.
Win 8 is a pain in the butt to learn, so my guess is that there is not going to be a whole lot of difference between the time spent learning Mac and Win 8.