Windows 8 = Windows 7 with a start menu.
There’s an “app” on windows 8 called Desktop, which people fail to find or use properly. Desktop is literally Windows 7 stuck in Windows 8.
The only difference is the start menu, plus you can download some neat apps to run in the background without getting in the way of Desktop.
Or you can have them side by side!
Pomodoro Timer app has a status notification to let you know when the timer is done, I’ve been using that to pace myself with work.