1st level PC as novice or hero - do it behind the curtain!

[S'mon]

Well, yes, but I think there is a more-than-coincidence-level correlation between the complaint about 4e PCs being too uber at start, and the complaint about the lack of save-or-die. I'm not saying the correlation is 100%, but I think it's there.

You're probably right. Again though, you can run 'farmboy-1st level' with 'one hit kills' easily in 4e: if the typical orc is a great axe wielding 4th level Brute doing 1d12+9 (crit 1d12+21) with an encounter power doing 2d12+10 (crit 1d12+34) he can very easily one-shot a Fighter-1 PC (ca 26 hp, dead at -13). And that is entirely RAW: those are standard damage expressions for a Brute of that level, and standard monsters 3 levels above PC level is within the 4e encounter guidelines even for an EL+0 fight.

Edit: What is hard on this approach though is to one-shot the monsters! The 1st level Fighter is likely doing around 1d10+5 or +6, even his Brutal Strike doing 3d10+6 is not going to fell an unwounded Brute-4 orc with around 62 hp. Personally I halve all monster hp, partly to avoid that very problem.