the partition table does not have anything to do with the bios/uefi/efi. I would make the sdd a gpt partition table and the hdd a mbr. GPT is recommended for any SSD and for drives 1TB or more if my memory is correct.
no you can format to NTFS as well just remember FAT nor NTFS will take into account Linux file permissions. For your needs I would go with NTFS for the time being while sharing with winblowz.
there are several ways to skin a cat in Linux. just doing and learning will help you find what works best for you.
no. the only difference between the two is the way data is accessed. HDD still uses mechanical parts. SDD is like a big thumbdrive no mechanical parts. other than that they are the same basically.
Never be sorry for learning and asking questions. We were all where you are now at one time.
If memory serves me and well that’s debatable. The quote quick format option is just an actual formatting operation the normal or default is basically a scan disk first then format. This is why a normal format on winblowz takes longer.