I applied the 10.10.2 > 10.10.3 update from the App Store--it installed without issue and all hardware remains fully functional. Just like a real Mac.
edit:
In addition, today I went through the process of upgrading my machine from System BIOS version 2.10 to version 2.21. It was listed on Acer's support site alongside the v1.09 BIOS and listed as "Not For Upgrades." Since I was already on a 2.x series bios, and since the V5-171 has a BIOS recovery feature to prevent bricking, I took the plunge and installed the bios update with the .exe installer in Windows8.1. The install completed without error, and the machine booted immediately afterwards (though bios settings were reset to defaults). Running this bios with the edited DSDT from 2.10 is not a problem. Given this success, I think it's safe to assume the warning on Acer's website, "Not for Upgrades," means upgrades from the 1.x series to the 2.x series.
I extracted the new DSDT file and there are more than trival changes, but nothing major. Most of it seems centered around adding support for Windows8.1 (2013)--adding a bunch of conditionals using the new OSYS value. There is also a new USB3 variable, and a new CHAR, Package (0x10) under scope ec0. There are changes to the brightness step values for 0x07dc.
The new DSDT compiles with the same error, warnings, and optimizations as the old version. My fixes patch, my optimize patch, my apple-like patch, and all of RehabMan's patches discussed in the OP apply without issue, and function as expected.
I did, however, modify his Windows2012 patch to apply to Windows2013 thusly:
Code:
#Maintained by: RehabMan for: Laptop Patches
#system_OSYS_win8.txt
# Cause the DSDT to simulate "Windows 2012" when running under "Darwin" (OS X).
#
# This can fix various DSDT related problems for code within the DSDT
# that is conditional on the operating system version.
#
# Sometimes "Windows 2013" is a better choice than "Windows 2012" or "Windows 2006"
into_all method code_regex If\s+\([\\]?_OSI\s+\(\"Windows\s2013\"\)\) replace_matched begin If(LOr(_OSI("Darwin"),_OSI("Windows 2013"))) end;
to take advantage of the new conditionals.