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It appears i can upgrade my vista computer to Windows 8 for only 39.95 but the www.windows8.com website says that my computer "Secure boot" won't work. Is that gonna be a problem. Can I still use Windows 8 on this machine.
That's not a problem and I recommend upgrading from Vista. I have been using Win8 for about 7 months now, and it's very stable. (it is much like Windows 7, under the hood). It has a touch screen/tablet interface by default, but you can turn that off - if desired - to resemble Win7.
A basic explanation: Secure boot is a firmware/bios confirmation of the operating system. Secure Boot prevents unauthorized operating systems and software from loading during the startup process. When the computer boots, a UEFI certificate will be checked to make sure it is legitimate - and hasn't been replaced by a bootloader or malware pest. It's an extra level of security that the older versions don't have, but is by no means necessary. There may even be a firmware update for your motherboard to allow it.
Some are scared of it, but that seems like mostly hype. Here is a better explanation, with some diagrams to explain:
If the machine was designed for Vista, it will probably work fine with Win7 or Win8. Those three versions have a lot in common, under the hood. Secure boot won't be a limiting factor for your upgrade or functionality.
