I would only believe you if you are using the Microsoft Design Language variant.
I'm not even sure what that is. I'm guessing that's the Windows 8 full screen app version?
No, its just a regular Windows 7 PC with an i7, 16GB RAM, SSD, And IE11.
I don't know what to tell you. IE11 starts as fast as Chrome does; if anything I'd give the edge to IE11. However both are comfortably sub-second from launch to loaded and ready to use.
I've got an other older i7 windows 7, with spinning disk drives. Booted it up, fired up IE. Got about 1.5 seconds of the spinning cursor, then the window displayed and it was ready to go in under a second. Exited it. Subsequent launches lack the 1.5 seconds of spinning, and display and load the window immediately; ready to use still comfortably under a second. (And that is a first gen i7 from 2011.)
For the record, Firefox and Chrome were similiar. A second or so of busy-cursor before the window appeared; ready to use within half a second or so of the window appearing.
No other webbrowser does this and I can easily reproduce this on any Windows machine I get my hands on.
Again, not sure what to tell you. I have no stake in lying to you; and I have seen the behaviour you describe... of the IE window loading, and being able to type in the address bar, only to have it overwrite it and start loading the default home page. And I agree THAT is a flaw. But I've only seen it on crappy old low spec computers at the office. I just assumed it was slow computers.
However I do not have issues with IE loading slowly on my computers.
Perhaps its a plugin or addon? Perhaps its something to do with settings; for example perhaps you have it set to automatically look for your proxy settings -- that's known to cause a delay on startup with some systems?
Bottom line, assuming your telling the truth, and I'm happy to take you at face value, then there is something else going on, because IE does not have this issue on either Win7 computer here in my office, nor my laptop, nor that I use regularly, nor my Win8.1 HTPC i have in my living room.
I prefer Firefox myself; but do use IE from time to time, and it's not exhibiting the issue you describe.