1.) The boxed/retail version of Website Maker contains documentation (printed manual, tutorial videos) and some of the documentation material can be installed on your local machine. It also includes one year of hosting (already covered by the program price). However, ultimately, you will work online and use a browser-based, graphical editing interface to create your website, regardless of what version you go for.
2.) There's no forum system included with Website Maker. You would have to go with any externally hosted solution and link to it from your website.