You obviously haven't tried Linux Mint. It is smaller, lighter and faster than 8.
The Mint default uis are really meant for desktop users- and for desktop users, it is vastly superior to 8.
If you are a tablet/phone/desktop user, there is Ubuntu Unity.
It has the launcher ( 8 calls it taskbar)
It has Dash - just type for lightning fast unified search - including online search if you desire. (8 calls it start screen )
It has the Panel which changes context according to the app you have in focus (8 calls it the fairy wand/charms bar )
You can have multiple apps open - and also multiple workstations.
The Dash does not have to be full screen ( unlike the much loathed 8 start screen ) - therefore it is quite usable on a traditional pc.
If you are on a traditional pc and you still don't fancy Unity UI - no problem, just log in to Cinnamon UI instead.
8 is playing catch up and has a way to go. I don't know if it will ever catch up in terms of resource usage and speed.
No point in comparing 8 to something that was made purely for a phone - like android. Compare it to a proper os instead.
It just so happens that with all-native core apps and no Java overhead, Ubuntu also runs well on entry-level smartphones.
A couple of friends of mine, developers, and I are convinced that windows 8 will come out the winner eventually. I've used macOS, iOS, android, custom built android, and windows 8 across over a dozen devices. Windows 8 is light years ahead in stability, speed, and feel. There's just no comparison. None at all. No way iOS or android could possibly beat windows 8.
A lot of people don't know windows 8 right now because they don't know any better. Just use it side by side with any other OS and see what I mean.
I've been using linux ever since you had to type in line by line commands to do any sort of installation of packages or system. I was an enthusiastic linux user for years. Then I had to go back to windows because there are programs that I need to use for my work that are simply not available on linux.
Let me tell you a funny story. My first experience with windows 8 was actually a windows RT machine. Had it for a week with no problem. Then I needed to print out something. I have a samsung laser printer. No driver to be found for it on RT. So, I called samsung tech support and they kept linking me to the driver for windows 8. The tech guy I was talking to kept telling me that the exe he was sending me was good for both 8 and rt, since they were the same thing. After frustratingly trying to explain to him the differences between the two and why an exe compiled for windows 8 wouldn't work on rt, I asked to speak to another tech guy. So, the second guy came on and again he tried to tell me that windows rt and 8 were the same thing and the exe they sent me would work on both. Seeing how I wasn't going to get anywhere with them, I thanked them and hung up.
I then emailed MS support. Got a response the next day. The reply linked me to the driver for windows 8. Grrr.... So, I emailed back telling him that the driver compiled for windows 8 wouldn't work on my rt device. The next reply I got from him was jaw dropping. Here was a tech support personal working for microsoft replying to me in an email telling me that windows 8 and windows rt were the same thing and that a drivver for one will work in the other.
That was when I realized my rt will never get the support it needed. If 2 tech samsung guys and 1 MS tech guy didn't know the difference between 8 and rt, rt has no chance in hell of getting any genuine support.
Why did I just tell that story? Because despite how great and wonderful linux is, it's simply not fit for everyday basic use. The next time my client wanted me to use a specific program written for windows platform, I don't want to have to tell him "sorry, I'm a linux person..." I'm an engineer. I have to use certain engineering programs for calculations. And as far as I know, no engineering company in the world uses linux.
I was able to get away with using android for a while, but in the end I would have to go back to windows. It's just not practical in the technical field to use linux. No support. Extreme lack of fundings. Not to mention all the 1337 attitude among linux users.
I used to work as a developer, so I hope I'm pretty tech savy compared to the average person. Last time I posted on a linux forum asking for help, I got half a dozen "you're stupid" and half a dozen "go away". Only 2 helpful answers that were vague written for someone that already knew the answer.
So, no, I'm not going to waste more time of my life with linux. The sort of elitist attitude among linux users drove me away. At some point, you just have to admit to yourself that being productive means you spend less time dealing with elitist linux geeks and more time doing your line of work.
If you're on top of linux, god bless you. May the angels in the heavens smile down on your sudo lines. But it''s just not for me.
Added by edit.
Another complaint I have about non-windows platforms is the basic everyday conveniences of things like ctrl+c and ctrl+v for copy and paste. It's simple, isn't it? It should be the most basic common thing. Amazing how such a simple thing could be so important when you're doing document work. Also amazing how many developers ignore such a simple thing.
In android, ctrl+c andctrl+v still works only half the time. Very unreliable in the last linux distro I used.
One of the top android office apps is thinkfree. Last I checked it was $10. I bought it and then found out it did not have text reflow. So, if you're typing and the word hits the right side of the page the word would continue in the next line. So, it wou
ld look like that. So annoying and worthless. I emailed the company about that and they assured me they were fixing it. 3 months later they came out with an update adding all kinds of options, but still no text reflow. 6 months after, still nothing. I sent them a dozen emails before they replied saying they will fix it in their next update. Next update came and again lots of new features but my words were sti
ll being cut off like that. Annoying as hell. Exactly 11 months after I first emailed them, they finally fixed it.
The point is iOS, android, and linux developers from my observation are not very aware of the most common but very important things. Windows developers seem to be way way more responsive. One app, for example, on windows 8 had a camera bug. I emailed the dev, got a response within the hour, and he came out with an update to fix it the next day. That versus the 11 months I waited for an android developer to fix a bug.