You can also get Windows 7 fairly cheap these days and it will install just fine.
However, I do agree that it is only the Metro interface that people dislike, which is only a click from going away and when 8.1 comes out you can make it NOT be the default.
New versions of linux are looking really nice, however, the availability of specific games may be an issue. There are typically linux knock-offs of the original games, but they are often different enough to where people don't like them.
In the long run, you're better off getting used to Windows 8.