I think a lot of it comes down to the build team.

We have a very strict build, and while there is bloatware I could do without, they’ve always been great about handing out new machines, so we generally stay ahead of it.

The issue I run into is that at our company, I’m very much “That guy”, who needs all the exceptions and special software.

While they’ve created some AD groups for me that provide most of what I need, transferring to a new laptop is a major procedure as I never know what new restrictions have been put in place that I’ll need exceptions for. It’s a constant battle between security and having the tools I need to do the job. I always have at least three laptops, one that I’m using, one I’m working on setting up, and the old one I can’t let go of.

All that being said, yes, win 11 is an absolute pig compared to other options, once my machine is dialed in, I really don’t mind the environment.

Course, it helps that my lab shares space with the end user IT support team, so all I have to do is call over my shoulder to have something fixed.