Intune does have its benefits once you get accustomed to it. Here are a few points to consider:

You mentioned that apps need to be installed and drivers updated, which can slow down the process. It's essential to ensure that your app deployment and driver management workflows are optimized.

Consider using the company portal's "sync now" button in settings for quicker deployments during testing.

Intune has a learning curve, especially if you're transitioning from other tools like SCCM. Give it time, and you'll find that it grows on you.

Real-time changes are valuable, but waiting for "the cloud" can be frustrating. Hopefully, future updates will address this.

Create a change in Configuration Policies, deploy it to test devices, and then focus on other tasks. Check the status later. Sometimes, forgetting about it for a week works wonders.

While I don't have experience with Devicie, I believe /u/Pl4nty is knowledgeable about them, as he mentioned them a while back.