I admit I honestly have no idea where the system settings are located as I haven't pressed the start button in ages, but the same applies to MacOS as I would use spotlight there as well.
Using search as a UI means you can only find things that you know exist, but there are plenty of important settings that I've only discovered by actually navigating through the UI.
The point of this comment thread is that important Windows settings are scattered throughout many different interfaces beyond just the Settings app, and you can never be sure where to find what you're looking for, which results in a poor user experience. Off the top of my head, you have the Settings app, Control Panel, Device Manager, System Configuration, and Network and Sharing Center.
I admit I honestly have no idea where the system settings are located as I haven't pressed the start button in ages, but the same applies to MacOS as I would use spotlight there as well.