Have you tried reverting from the METRO interface to the standard? If so, how radically different is 8 from 7? I am currently using Windows Phone 8 and like it, but I would not want it on a standard laptop. On a tablet or a nicely designed touch screen interface, it would be a tossup.
Your post to me led to some solutions. I stopped the login and got a new menu system (pokki) off the Internet.