Aspire V5-123 Newbie needs help

I do apologise for a long first post, but I’m a total laptop newbie. I can build a desktop from scratch, but when it comes to software etc. I have no idea. So thank you for your patience. I've just bought an Acer laptop, (btw: it's not a touch screen), the specs of which are: Aspire V5-123-12104060nkk, Model ZHL Windows 8.1 - AMD E - Series (E1 - 2100, 1 GHz, 1 MB) - 29.5 cm (11.6") LED - 16:9 HD - Active Matrix TFT Colour LCD - ComfyView - AMD Radeon HD 8210 - 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM - 500 GB Serial ATA - No - And I'm finding the on-line manual it came with of no help at all. On that topic what’s the Fn key all about, I can’t find a keyboard layout showing what all the keys do. So if anyone can help with the following questions I'd be more than thankful: (1) I set up a Hotmail Outlook.com email account but it doesn't seem to be working, and I can also see no way of exiting the program apart from when I close the laptop. It wouldn't accept the Hotmail Outlook.com email account details I have on my desktop, which runs on Windows 7 Home Premium instead of this horrible new Windows 8.1 on the laptop. Is that why it won't accept my original email details? Or is it due to my not completing the Microsoft ID in that I didn’t set up the security information for it? Should that be so then how do I access the MS ID to complete the process? (2) I have the same problem trying to log-in to Skype. On my desktop it's never a problem, but on the laptop it won't accept any of my username/password details be they from this desktop or the new Hotmail Outlook.com account I had to set up. I've downloaded the update, which I found very difficult to find and ended up downloading the desktop version, but the laptop now says that I've now updated the program. Where am I going wrong, or should I just set up a totally new Skype account? (3) The manual talks about documents but I can see no way of writing any, regardless of whether I look on the "normal" desktop layout or the new Windows 8 screen that has all the silly tiles. I don’t want to buy the Office App but instead need to install my Microsoft Office program. Thus, I'm assuming that I'll need to buy a DVD/CD reader/writer as there is no DVD/CD drive in the laptop. If that's the case then would this item be suitable: http://www.acerdirect.co.uk/LiteOn_Ultra_Slim_External_USB_Optical_Drive__EUAU108-01/version.asp And, should it be OK would I also need to download any software or drivers for it? If that’s not a suitable model could you please suggest one? (4) When I first set it up I had to connect to my wireless connection. It kept asking me for the Wireless security key, which I couldn't find apart from the shared key for my router. I put that in (in capitals as printed on the router) but it wouldn't accept it. However, after a while it suddenly connected, and has done so ever since each time I turn it on. But not having entered the secure username and password that I set up for my particular connection I don't know if the wireless is now open to anyone who might be passing or if it's secure. Should I go back and try to find a way of putting that personal information in and, if I should, then how do I find it? (5) On setting it up to start with I found that I needed to download and install a few things, one of which was the Acer Cloud, or Acer Portal (I can’t recall which), but there was a little green cloud icon on the screen. I don’t know if I completed doing that as the icon has now totally disappeared, but when looking at something else it said to sign in to the Cloud, which I did just be clicking OK and I reached where I wanted to go without problem. It’s possible that I turned the laptop off while the Cloud thingy was still installing, but now I don’t know how to check if that was the case. Also, I’m not sure that I set up my Acer ID correctly as I need to use it to register the product, (another item I can no longer find), so how do I find it again to make any changes? (6) With regard to the MacAfee that’s running on the laptop. It says I have a 30 day trial, (about 21 days left now), but I want to get rid of it. I have my own anti-virus and firewall programs running and I Update Windows via the control panel. I don’t want MacAfee at all, so how do I get rid of it? Will I do any damage if I simply uninstall it from the programs via the control panel? (7) My final question. When I get a DVD/CD reader/writer is it possible to uninstall Windows 8.1 and install my Windows 7 Home Premium OS (32-bit) instead? Please could anyone responding to my message number their answer(s) so that I know which question they are helping me with?