Here is the conundrum:
Yes, everything people say about WP8 is true and the future of WP is better served overall with an NT-based Kernel OS. BUT, having used both WP 7.X and 8.x phones I can tell you that, at least for me, the expereince is much better using 7.x. Smoother, faster, much better integration.
So, the conumdrum is: Do you want a better overall experience now OR better, more up-to-date, and more numerous apps and a continuously udated OS with some choppiness and less than optimal integration?
Of course going back to WP 7.x means either buying a used WP7 phone or a NOS with no/little support which ,over time, will be a dead end anyway. So this is all a mute point. I understand.
But maybe not. Many of these phones are still more that servicable and function quite well for all but the most demanding of users. Going back to WP7.x is more of a mental hangup than an actual lack of funtion - using a 3 year old phone with a walking-dead OS is too much to explain for many.
But for me, having owned a Lumia 900 at launch, switched to a HTC 8S, then a Blackberry Z3, then an ASUS Zenphone, I'm days away from getting a NOS Lumia 900 and heading back to 7x. I cant wait!
Thats just me.