Well, what I know it happens on all versions of Windows is that when you have a shortcut for a network location like \\IP\Share and that ip is offline, it freezes Windows explorer for several seconds, more than a minute sometimes because it keeps trying to connect to the offline IP several times performiing "SMB requests" via SMB protocol.
But for local available drives and "new" option that is odd. I have Windows 8 on a VM. I did not like it at all to be honest. My advice is that you do not use Windows until at least the first service pack is released, because it is full of bugs, and it is hard to contact Microsoft to report the bug and when you do it, a lot of times they do not care.
So your best bet is downgrading to Windows 7 which is better and more stable for sure.
Windows XP, although is very old by now is very stable and compatible with most programs, because it has already received a hell lot of patches. Then comes the question, if its life cycle has been extended due to the Vista fiasco, why didnt they released SP4 to XP. My opinion is, just not to have as many as its previous OS, Windows 2000 haha. M$ sucks my friend, learn to live with it.
