Windows needs a Microsoft account, and that sucks. I completely agree with you on that. The ridiculous workarounds you need to go through to set up Windows can only be described as what you get when you fire your testers for a telemetry collection algorithm. On the other hand, I've never seen someone complain about Android/iOS/macOS requiring an online account, so I can see why Microsoft is so blind to criticism in this regard.
That said, the bloatware on professional laptops is absolutely minimal. They do this nasty trick where they add Candy Crush to your start menu, but it's not even installed until you click on it. If you buy Windows Pro (the one you probably want anyway) you won't see this crap.
As for the antivirus and Outlook: don't treat modern Windows like Windows XP. Windows Defender and a fully usable Outlook suite have been part of Windows for well over a decade now. You can install Outlook if you really want to, but it's really not necessary. I'll even go as far as say that Outlook Express and its evolutions were also working just fine all the way back in the XP days.
All the machines I've seen ship with Windows 11 have come with Office preinstalled (with a trial, because Microsoft is a wallet leech) so I'm surprised you even needed to install a copy. I consider it bloatware myself because of the subscription model attached to it.
I'm with you, but, there is no OSX pro. You buy a mac, you're done. My mother does not need a professional laptop, she needs a laptop. Why should people on paid non-professional laptops be actively sabotaged? Is this what professional should mean? What is the difference between a macbook, a macbook pro and a mac pro. You open them, everything is the same, except the pro models have more to offer in a way that is obvious to pros, and non pros (meaning non techies) wouldn't normally notice, it's not the non pro models that have to work against you to make you regret not forking out more.
The crapware is subsidising the cosy of the laptop. If people were willing to put in the extra cash for a trash free OS, we would only have clear, "pro" versions of Windows.
No. There'd be a new more expensive tier of windows laptops, and the previous costlier one would be the new cheap. Because growth and quarterly earnings.
That said, the bloatware on professional laptops is absolutely minimal. They do this nasty trick where they add Candy Crush to your start menu, but it's not even installed until you click on it. If you buy Windows Pro (the one you probably want anyway) you won't see this crap.
As for the antivirus and Outlook: don't treat modern Windows like Windows XP. Windows Defender and a fully usable Outlook suite have been part of Windows for well over a decade now. You can install Outlook if you really want to, but it's really not necessary. I'll even go as far as say that Outlook Express and its evolutions were also working just fine all the way back in the XP days.
All the machines I've seen ship with Windows 11 have come with Office preinstalled (with a trial, because Microsoft is a wallet leech) so I'm surprised you even needed to install a copy. I consider it bloatware myself because of the subscription model attached to it.