I have not used Classic since I got my Power Mac last December and I have to use the power button shutdown several times a week. In the old days of OS9 what you describe was called a freeze or a crash. Oh. This is the uncrashable OS. Frankly, OS X crashes as much or more than OS 9 for me.
In spite of it I like it more. Crashes have improved a little since I switched to DSL and stopped using the godawful, disconnecting software modem to go on the internet.
What Panther Should Fix: Part Seven, Shut Me Down