If you download and install one of the freeware “Windows Start-menu” programs (I prefer Classic Shell: http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/) and you’ll have a Win8 box with a Win7 GUI.
Regardless of adding a start menu or leaving as is, you’ll need about an extra 20% hardware to do the same things as you could do with a Win7 box.
Thanks! That’s good to know. I suspect a lot of businesses are going to run this Classic Shell to keep employees from staring at sports and entertainment widget tiles all day.