1.
You apply a certain amount of power, since the time taken to accelerate a jet engine from idle is not only significant, but varies between engines... Once you have the engines "stable" at a mid power setting, it takes far less time, and less variable between engines, to takeoff power...
In practice, this means if you just pushed the throttles forward form idle, one may well start producing significant thrust well before the other, and the aircraft turn - all rather embarrassing
In md80 (jt8d-200series engine) for takeoff, first you have to acelerate to 1.4 EPR, let both engines stabilize and then aply full power. That is because the engines take its time to accelerate and it happens frecuently ( depenending on bleed configuration and other stuff), sometime one engine spools up faster than the other and if you aply full power could yaw the aircraft. Another fact is that you have to check parameters at 1.4 EPR (all shoud be ok to proceed). Another fact is that at 60 kts the autothrottle uncluth (clump) and no longer control the throttles lever, so if you dont reach take off power at 60 kts, the autothrottle just leave the power it reaches at 60 kts, so lets suppose one engine reach takeoff power, the other just spooling, airplane starts to move, a moderate headwind, the airplane reaches 60 kts and only one engine reaches T/O power, the other less power, then engine failure of first engine.....
2. the md80 is one of the safest, strong plane, most of the accident involve md were pilot or mnt problems.
3. the md has 1 rat probe, and give information to the TRP (thrust rating panel) which tells the different max EPR for different cnfig (t/o, clb, etc), but you always have a t/o card that tells EPR T/O and have to match the EPR T/O on TRP, if it doesnt something is wrong.
4.Someone said it is difficult to control yaw in V1cut in md80, that is not true, you even need less rudder pedal than 737 and a little aileron.
5. just wait what CVR and FDR say.