Windows operating system and apps

So it must be worth a lot of money to force al of that stuff on users right?

You can use Linux for free which has never been shittified.

Hmm... but the registry hooks for those uninstalls must be in there even if the option isn't surfaced in the UI right?

Maintaining different UI options is one thing, maintaining completely different OS versions is another... and it seems like it would be prohibitively complex and expensive to do that.

Probably all you'd need is for someone with the EU version to export a backup of the relevant parts of their registry, and distribute that so anyone who wants to can have the same uninstall options. The trick would be keeping it that way through Windows updates.

Well, they are no longer allowed to milk victims in the EU thanks to good laws. That does not mean they cannot exploit those who are not protected.

$$$ > $$

Well... dependencies can still exist, which would justify the "system" marking. For example, different programs' WebViews depend on Edge nowadays, though maybe it is possible to isolate having that rendering engine without having the full browser program.

fyi a lot of preinstalled crapware can be uninstalled just by using adb, no need to root

The big issue here is that it’s both the carriers and the manufacturers who make money off the crapware that’s preinstalled. Many Android phones are generally cheaper by hardware spec compared to iPhones specifically because someone is making money of the preinstalled crapware.

I would too if anti cheat worked on Linux

Same

Well, they kind of have to I would guess.

That step they don't have to go makes me think with Windows 12, the whole process will likely start from 0. They will try to implement everything again, waiting for courts or politics to take some decisions after years.