I am in the market for a new laptop. In the past I have purchased Dell products but I don't like how their computers come with so much pre-installed "crap". Can anyone recommend a PC Laptop brand that keeps the extra software to a minimum? I want to be able to create a backup of the OS that is relatively clean, so if I ever have any problems I can re-image the computer fresh. Thank you.
Wouldn't it be better to find a laptop that fits your budget, and re-install the operating system with a "clean" ISO of the operating system so there's no bloatware (the excess "crap" software on the laptop from manufacturers you buy at a retail store) and THEN create a system image/backup of the OS? Personally, I think that's more viable than wondering which PC brand does what you want, since I think if you buy a PC from any manufacturer, there's always going to be annoying bloatwares (unless it's custom built for you, but that's another story entirely). I don't think you can compare the manufacturer's in terms of "cleanliness" since they get paid mostly, if I'm not mistaken, really, not by the end consumer (us, regular people), but, by the companies that own those bloatwares.
I do not buy much of laptops but I have heard that Lenovo is relatively clean. Anyway, there is no harm in deleting all partitions and reinstall. The factory image gets obsolete in 2-3 months anyway. I bought a Dell laptop. Delivered on 15-sep-2011 at 2 pm, deleted all partitions at 4pm, and reinstalled at leisure on 16-sep-2011. If you prefer this, do get drivers for your system beforehand from laptop OEM/original manufacturer.