Laptops, UEFI, Secure Boot and Debian

[Patrick Bartek <nemommxiv@gmail.com>]

Researching a laptop purchase (within the next 6 months or so) to replace my aging Desktop (1 to 8.5 years depending on which parts).  Going to abandoned the Big Box forever.  Need to be very portable in the next year or two. Two questions to begin:

1. Many laptops seem to only be able to turn off Secure Boot through the OS, Windows 8.x, or so I've researched.  However, I've read some makes (Asus, Lenovo, Dell and HP) can do it directly through "BIOS" without needing to boot Windows?  True?  Any others?

2. How UEFI compatible is Debian Wheezy?  What I'm running on the Desktop.  Or is Jessie the better choice.  Or something else entirely?  Except Ubuntu variants (Hate it!).  I don't want to run in Legacy mode for future compatibility.  I won't be installing a desktop, just a window manager.  Probably Openbox.

Thanks.

B