1) yes, they do make elixr strings for acoustic guitars.. a buddy of mine uses em' and swears by them
on that note - I asked my local store gurus and they pointed me in the direction of the d,addario exp's. haven't tried the elixrs yet but I have plans on giving them a shot after the exps are dead (do like the exp's tho, nice feel and sound)

2) I have to agree with most of the posts.. the slight squeak of the guitar kind of gives the music a natural feel and a personality that makes the acoustic sound what it is. However, those really loud noisy squeaks, yeah, I'm thinkin chalkboard when I hear those...
As you learn more and start to develop your own style of playing you probably won't even notice the string noise and come to appreciate it...

To try and minimize the real ear breakers, try the palm mute deal but be sure to let go of the fretboard enough so you don't break glass when you slide up and down -it'll take time but the end result should be well worth your effort.

Good luck!