Arse over elbow//hindsight avoidance plan

I apologise in advance,I suspect I'm crashing the wrong party..I seem to be experiencing the old "lost" in varying degrees today. I'm here,in hope of help,guidance and salvation. ..Previous visits have helped immensely and I'm delighted to report my last visit was quite some time ago and my laptop is still going issue free... I'll try not to witter and get to the cards on the table now. I just bought http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lapto...6-touchscreen-laptop-silver-21414702-pdt.html for my son who is preparing to leave for university.Bright as he is his "interest"in laptops amounts to using it,not how it all works. So, as I said I bought it and its not classed as his,til I'm happy its up n running. Judge me on that if you like... The post title paves the way to...I had this marvellous idea ,post taking the thing out the box and suffering a mild panic attack as the reality struck- I haven't ever set up a new laptop before-or used windows 8. Ignorance actually is bliss ,previously I would have battered on anyhow. I've developed curiosity on tech topics,tho I specialise in being a slow learner. Saying it and daeing it is worlds apart anyhow. So,to my point..sorry... is there a correct formulae on how to proceed? It might be useful(or not)if I highlight whats holding me back. Apart from the blonde thing... Ok.his previous sony vaio ran mse ,also without problems ,til it died a very sudden death last month.I'm a bit confused if defender completely replaces this and\or reuires further protection? I had pretty much decided that we were gonna put avg free on this as antivirus. But,as the blurby bit says theres Norton and MacAfee already there. Am I right this falls into the realm of bloatwear?should/how should I remove this?also...well, also I really need a step by step instruction on how to do the whole good to go thing. ... My logic,generally questionable if not awol altogether..being it might be easier all round if start from the right place-save a lot of rewinding and unravelling in the future. ...I did enrole for the premier cover plan so once up and running he can jolly well deal with it all himself.. meantime,i'm hoping maybe you guys can dig me out? Please????