On the matter of the Control Panel - that may be a bug.
A 'BUG' (AFAIK) is when a program does not work as intended. Had there been a XAMPP for Windows Upgrade 1.7.7 to 1.8.0 - then you might have a case for it did not work as expected. Maybe we are dealing with semantics, and maybe I have misjudged (personally -- not speaking for XAMPP) the skill and mind sets of people who use 'server suites'.
One thing 'is' certainly evident, both I and the developers who released this version did not appreciate how it would be perceived in the mind of existing XAMPP users. We literally beta-tested for months with many interim beta releases - I think the last beta for Windows was .8 or .9. I don't know the level of error reports, but I can speak for myself I tested all but one or two beta versions on Windows and Linux. Using 'my' methods, the only error I really recall on Windows was missing installing the C++ libraries on a fresh machine (and I posted a stickie).
The reality is I have a lot of experience with systems engineering and what is second nature to me may not be on the horizon for many users. For example, I am still astounded by the number of people who undertake projects, but don't do daily backups! Never mind if they know that file system backups often cannot save databases.
I am not the project lead, just a 'question answerer' and often a tester, so I don't make distribution decisions. His 'member name' is Oswald. send him a PM.
All that said - "my" opinion is 'no bug' (other than maybe the CP issue)- probably a need for wider beta testing and better 'you need to know this before proceeding' warnings. You are welcome to tell the project lead what you think, and express your ideas. I certainly did not think this was a support request, it says ''installer problem' - If it were up to me, I would totally ditch the MSI (installer driven) version of the Windows distribution.
Just 'my personal thoughts',
Good Luck