Linux has been around for years and has never been a realistic alternative. Certainly not for home use anyway.
How wrong you are sir. I've been using Ubuntu for near enough 2+ years and it's been great to me. I'm able to play my games like LFS and BMW M3 Challenge seamlessly through WINE and I can even use Photoshop CS5. Ubuntu is now more than ever, a good alternative. Sure there is still some programs like more advanced non-linear video editors and multi-media apps needed but it's is very appropriate for Office use, Home use and even server now although I'd only ever use Gentoo, or CentOS for a server.
Linux is far faster, and safer than Windows and is a great alternative.
Canonical has been churning out products like Ubuntu TV and Ubuntu for Android which are soon to be released sometime next year hopefully.
IMO Windows will always continue to have that security loophole and be a resource hogger. There are so many things wrong with Windows, I'll never go back.
About the Secure Boot question...
Secure Boot is a UEFI enviroment which needs hardware certification using "keys" in the MBR. With Windows 8 certified PC's these keys will be given to the OEMs. The problem with UEFI is that, if Microsoft do force Secure Boot, the OEMs will be have no option but to allow the option to be disabled.
There will be a limited number of safe boot signatures... and once they've been cracked, malware writers will find a way to sign their own code with the Win8 signatures, totally defeating the added security from bootable code.
Now I'm no expert on how safeboot works, but one thing is certain... time and time again, the virus/malware writers have proven themselves smarter and more capable than M$, so I know who I'd bet on.
And once it's shown not to work, and does nothing more than cause Windows users issues, I don't think people will have much of a problem disabling the so called "secure boot" feature .. give people credit, they seem to quickly get their heads round the concept of not requiring AV in Linux, and that these things only exist because *Windows* security sucks so badly.
The more I've thought/read/talked about safeboot, the less I'm inclined to think the OEM's are likely to allow it to become an issue... because any problems will fall at their door.
The home user, 🤬 off at HP because he can't add an aftermarket graphics card, etc.
The company 🤬 off at Dell because they can't use Norton Ghost, etc.
After all, it won't be M$ who have to fend off the complaints.... .
Thinking about it... it *may* cause more component/system manufacturers to label their products as "Linux compatible" which can only be a good thing... imagine, all Dell PC's and ASUS motherboards carrying 2 stickers... "Designed for Windows 8" AND "Linux compatible" .. and M$ discovering they've shot themselves in the foot again by creating an environment where hardware manufacturers feel the need to effectively provide free advertising for Linux.
It's down to the OEM to ensure they let the customers know what they're getting, and the whole point of buying a PC is so the end user has control over it, not the PC having control over the end user.
Can we have an honest opinion now? 
