The Galaxy S4 didn't wow me in anyway, and preliminary benchmarks on the device are pointing to the HTC one being that small bit more powerful.
Software wise they both innovated you could say but in different ways. Samsung have done the usual and added a ton of S'Apps - most of which I can safely say I'd never use.
They seemingly have done little new to Touchwiz and I was never a fan of it in the first place. I hated it on the SGS2 and the SGS3 didn't change my opinion - the SGS4 just carries the same legacy.
HTC have none of the app type bloat-ware and I like the visual changes they made to Sense 5. I pretty much utilise my phone in the exact manner that they are targeting the HTC One. Outside of core (phone/text/email/calendar) I mainly utilise the phone for RSS feeds (Pulse/Currents/Flipboard) and for taking photos and uploading them to Facebook / Twitter & Instagram. (I never print them). So for me the hardware and software appeal to the things I do the most.
As nice and as varied as the Samsung S'Apps are - they are redundant to me as I'd never use them.
Also watching lots of hands on video footage between the two, the HTC one seems much smoother in operation generally, I have been able to detect Lag in the majority of the hands-on footage of the GS4 since its launch last night, and whilst that could be just unfinished software at fault, seeing it did nothing to win me over or change how I feel about Touchwiz. (With so much powerful hardware we should not be seeing lag in the OS. Period)
Design aesthetics wise of the hardware, actually whilst I still prefer the HTC One by a long way, the SGS4 in the real press shots since the reveal haven't put me off it as much as the SGS3. Small changes like the metal band and the almost carbon fibre style casing are subtle but noticeable improvements. The slightly less rounder feel is also an improvement. It looks more like a phone, less like a soap bar.
So I can see the GS4 selling far more than the HTC One. I can see. More people therefore choosing the GS4 in this poll. But for me - the HTC one is clearly the better device for my needs and my design ethos/lifestyle.
(Looks at pictures - See how lovely the HTC One looks on top of the MacBook Pro. It shares so many of Apples computer hardware design philosophy's).