You realize your argument basically boils down to "Win8 is fine once you buy additional software to fix it"? In other words, you like Win8 once you make it work like Win7. I'll leave you to ponder the logical fallacies in that.

You can find some comfort in knowing you are not alone. I have heard similar stories in several places. It really leads me to one logical conclusion. Win8 is a good upgrade if you moving from XP or Vista or you really need touch. If you're already on 7, then 8 isn't going to do much for you, even at $40. Now that the price has skyrocketed to $200, expect Win8 sales to tank horribly.