Unfortunately, FWIW of course, I don't believe there's an ideal way to buy a PC/laptop.
Apple I think comes closest because Jobs was either A) smart enough to know consumers want a product, not a project, B) arrogant enough to feel consumers were too stupid to use something with less restrictions, i.e. a Windows PC/laptop (or Android or Windows cell) or C) some combo of A & B. :)
When you buy an assembled, mass produced PC or a laptop you're most likely getting a special, bundled version of Windows, often [usually] with a pretty restricted license. Good = reduced cost [I *think* ~$25]. Bad = Everything else. This saves the manufacturers money in a low profit margin biz. Another way they can save money is by skimping on the internal components -- with most all laptops & several mass produced PCs you're at the PC maker's mercy for driver software, since the internals aren't something you can buy off the shelf, making it harder (if/when possible) to just start from scratch, installing Windows from a setup disc. Another way PC/laptop makers cut costs is to develop master hard drive images &/or setup discs/packages -- it's cheaper/easier to use the same thing for as many product models as possible. Doing it that way is a bit wasteful as there's stuff you'll never need taking up space. Finally customer support costs money, some customers abuse their products, some customers lie/cheat/try to take advantage, & some customers frankly do [sometimes incredibly] stupid things. The end result is that many companies require you restore your PC/laptop to out-of-the box conditions/specs before they'll help with problems/defects -- that's what most restoration discs or partitions on the hard drive accomplish. Long story short, a mass produced PC/laptop is a sort of bargain with the devil -- instead of what's best for you, it's a compromise of what's best for the manufacturer [lowest cost to build & support], with just enough customer-centric features that someone [they hope you] will buy it. What you get for your end of the bargain is lower cost than you'd get otherwise. It's not fair or unfair, but just is -- the open/free market is what got the costs of PCs/laptops down so low in the 1st place, & that's the way it works [after all a basic 286 used to cost thousands].
The software, often limited versions/trials that come with mass produced PC/laptops, is there because they feel that by being there it makes the company the most money. You also might get the questionable benefit of add-ons intended to make brand X's PC look better, or at least different than brand Y's. IMO debating the value of that stuff is a can of worms... It's normally usable, it provides a bridge until the consumer adds their own stuff, it makes it possible/easier to open the box & use your new PC/laptop right away. It may be cheaper quality or older versions, but then again so are an awful lot of very popular apps that others recommend -- loads of people will complain, maybe even scream about the garbage that came with their PC/laptop, then install worse... and brag about it to all their friends. :) Fandom knows no limits of logic or truth. ;) OTOH all or most of that stuff can be a drudge at best to get rid of -- my *guess* is that Microsoft's service amounts to reinstalling Windows, because being Microsoft they can -- you might have to get your hands on a setup disc/ISO, find & set aside the driver setup files, then hope your key worked to activate the result. And if your time's too valuable to waste on doing that sort of thing, you might happily pay the $100 added cost.
The alternative to buying a mass produced PC is the DIY approach, &/or getting someone else to do it for you. The problem with DIY is you have to learn. The problem with having someone else do it is that with any sort of service, it's the customer's perception of that service that determines their satisfaction, rather than any objective measure -- there's often maybe a sort of a gotcha, where if you knew enough to check their work you wouldn't need them to do it. Applied directly to building a PC, or repairing/upgrading the one you've got, the biggest challenge is evaluating the quality of the info you're given &/or find. Hundreds of people can endorse a brand, individual, shop, procedure, whatever, & hundreds of people may have simply been mislead. Whether you plan on DIY or having someone do it for you, Verify everything, from as many sources as you feel practical. If you read reviews, look at the ones that rate whatever the worst, first. If you're happy blindly trusting a friend or a friend of a friend etc. cool, but if your decision costs you, blame only yourself. Put another way, the more patient you are, the more research you do, the greater the odds you'll be happy with the results building/upgrading a PC, or just setting up Windows & adding the software you'll use.
