Get a stove that has knobs if you can. Knobs are definitely better. It's only the REALLY cheap ones that are all touch panel all the time. I agree with you -- I hate the modern trend of cheapening out on components by putting everything on a touch panel. They're unreliable and obnoxious. Gas ranges can't cut this corner because there are valves to operate -- but you know they would if they could, and gas ovens have the same exact terrible panels pretty routinely these days.

The heat cycling is still a thing with resistive ranges sometimes. Induction doesn't really do that. Since I cook almost entirely on cast iron, I never noticed it either way, so you may be right that it's an annoyance if you have a different style.

Pretty standard for induction ranges to also have a (ceramic) warmer hob these days for when you need really low heat, though I don't find it very useful. My induction hobs, on low, get the pan barely warm to the touch. On high, they get it blindingly hot in seconds.