If you've played only Reversi the Othello variant may have some differences. Mainly, the starting board already has some pieces on it. The general gameplay and goal is maintained though.

Reversi is what I grew up playing back in Ukraine. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's popular (well, relatively) in the US as well under the Othello name and have taught both of my kids to play it too. They love it, and I love playing it with them.