>>It's unlike anything I've seen.
Do you mean the graphical data flow paradigm? Bidule does its own thing (higher level objects), but there are other similar software you might also be interested in if you like that aspect of bidule: pure data (free), max/msp, reaktor, audiomulch, usine, synthedit, the list goes on. Although if you're looking for a versatile plugin host, bidule is hard to beat, at least in my experience on XP and OS X.
Be sure to document the issues you have and send a note to the developers. They are actively maintaining (and improving) this software and I'm sure proper win8 support is part of their short-term plans.
Sylvain
