Windows Store - Get Apps from it or go somewhere for the same 'app'

First, please excuse my ignorance for asking questions for which the answer might be fairly obvious for the 'experienced'. I am brand new to Win 8 - I just bought an HP Envy Desktop that comes with Win 8 (and hopefully, I had upgraded to Win 8.1 successfully, as reported at the end of the upgrade by the HP Desktop).

Questions:

a) I went into the Windows Store and saw some Anti-Virus protection software there, for instance (I know one should not install more than one of these in the same machine). There, they said they are 'free'. But once I got them installed: Oh yeah, the download is free, and they only would come up a free-trial period of say, 30 days. After that, PAY for the one-year license, of course.
Now, compare this approach of getting software to going directly to the software manufacturers' websites, and get the 'truthfully' free version.
Q: Is going to the manufacturer's website approach to get software possible with Win 8/Win 8.1 ?
Q: Are these apps from the Windows Store different from those offered in the same manufacturer's websites for Win 8/8.1 ?
Q: If I got the 'app' installed, and later uninstalled it (for instance, Antii-Virus software), could a 'truthfully' free version be installed afterwards ? (Could Win 8/Win 8.1 come up and say "AH HA, NO WAY. PAY UP !!!).

b) With Desktops/Notebooks coming from companies such as Dell, HP, Gateway, there are always some software/apps they bundled in their pre-installed Win 8. Some of them are useful. Some of them may not be the most desirable thing at all (I can respect that everyone may have their own opinion on anything in this day and age).
Q: Would uninstalling them create problems on 'System Recovery'? ** (of course, I am going to remove/uninstall them before doing the Recovery media - such as USB Flash Stick/DVDs).

c) Every Win 8/Win 8.1 'help' material from Microsoft or other sources states that the USB Flash Stick used for backing up the system image should not exceed 32G.
Q: What is the approx. size (in Gigabytes) of the system image, assuming I have installed the larger app/software such as the whole suite of Microsoft Office, Adobe - Acrobat Pro, Illustrator, Photoshop, and some other Video production and music production software?
Q: If those total images (including Win 8/8.1) are more than than 16 GB, why would companies like HP, Dell, etc. install SSD of
16 GB ? Are they setting up a 'upgrade trap' ?

Appreciate people of a higher intelligence than myself to give me some light. Thanks.

To answer your questions, first off I have been using the built in anti-virus software for Windows 8/8.1 which is Windows Defender. It has proven very effective and it is free and pre-loaded. Try it for awhile before you try a product from an alternate vendor.

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Q: Is going to the manufacturer's website approach to get software possible with Win 8/Win 8.1 ?

Yes, sometimes the same software is available directly from vendors, but mostly desktop apps. The downloads that run on the modern (Metro) interface are usually only available in the Windows Store and if you go to the vendors site you end up back at the Store for the download. The advantage of using the Windows Store is that there is less worry about false websites, added malware and the whole gamut of crap and crud that's out there waiting to install on your machine. The Windows Store is much safer.

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Q: Are these apps from the Windows Store different from those offered in the same manufacturer's websites for Win 8/8.1 ?

They are the same, and as above you will usually end up back at the Windows Store to download and install them.

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Q: If I got the 'app' installed, and later uninstalled it (for instance, Antii-Virus software), could a 'truthfully' free version be installed afterwards ? (Could Win 8/Win 8.1 come up and say "AH HA, NO WAY. PAY UP !!!).

The free anti-virus proggies out there downloaded and installed as desktop apps and would not be linked to anything you got from the Windows Store.

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Q: Would uninstalling them create problems on 'System Recovery'? ** (of course, I am going to remove/uninstall them before doing the Recovery media - such as USB Flash Stick/DVDs).

No.

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c) Every Win 8/Win 8.1 'help' material from Microsoft or other sources states that the USB Flash Stick used for backing up the system image should not exceed 32G.
Q: What is the approx. size (in Gigabytes) of the system image, assuming I have installed the larger app/software such as the whole suite of Microsoft Office, Adobe - Acrobat Pro, Illustrator, Photoshop, and some other Video production and music production software?
Q: If those total images (including Win 8/8.1) are more than than 16 GB, why would companies like HP, Dell, etc. install SSD of
16 GB ? Are they setting up a 'upgrade trap' ?

To answer all collectively, I use a 1 TB Seagate Backup Plus for the purpose. Works perfectly and the space is virtually unlimited.

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Appreciate people of a higher intelligence than myself to give me some light. Thanks

I am no smarter than you - just used Windows 8 since the beginning so have had a lot of practice:) And you are most welcome.
J.

Thanks J. !!!