I've got a new Acer Aspire V5-551G laptop with Windows 8 pre-installed. I'd like to also have Ubuntu. It was no problem on my old PC with Windows XP.

1. When I tried to install Ubuntu, the installation program said "This computer currently has no detected operating systems." One of the choices I got was to erase the whole disk, and install Ubuntu. I didn't want to do that.
I found a solution at the end of the discussion at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2108450.
That way I could install Ubuntu, but I couldn't boot it. Windows 8 started up, without giving me a chance to select anything else. The description I followed describes problems with a Dell computer, and it says Ubuntu (not Windows) starts up. It obviously does not completely apply to my laptop.

2. Windows is started via Windows Boot Manager. I found this description of how to dual-boot WIndows 8 and Linux with Windows Boot Manager: http://apcmag.com/how-to-dual-boot-w...-and-linux.htm.
After I did as described there, I got the chance to select OS in Windows Boot Manager, but only the Windows 8 selection worked. When I chose Ubuntu, the boot manager said some file was missing or corrupted. (I don't remember the exact wording.)

3. My latest draw has been to install and use boot-repair from an Ubuntu live-USB as described at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair. After that I get to Grub when I start up my laptop. There are entries for Ubuntu and Windows, but only the Ubuntu entry works. Now I can boot into Ubuntu, but not into WIndows.

boot-repair gave me the URL http://paste.ubuntu.com/6142264/
boot-repair also asked me to turn off secure boot. That's not possible in the BIOS/UEFI setup in my laptop. When UEFI mode is selected, which I suppose it must be in order to use Windows 8, then secure boot is unconditionally enabled. There is a Secure Boot entry in a setup menu, but it's not selectable.

I've got both a Windows 8 recovery disk on a USB stick, and an Ubuntu live-USB. If necessary, I can re-partition the hard disk, and install both WIndows 8 and Ubuntu again.

Did I buy the wrong type of PC, or is there a chance I can dual-boot on it?
I need both Windows and Linux, preferably Ubuntu. It would be possible but inconvenient to have them in different laptops.

I have sent an email almost identical to this post to boot.repair@gmail.com.