If they nest in the startups, that can be a bit more of a pain. They take RAM and they may pop up with annoying messages.
This is the real issue. I just got a new laptop for my Father, and it had 72 process running at startup. Why anyone thinks a laptop needs SQL server running at startup is beyond me. I was able to get things down to about 40 processes by uninstalling stuff. It's hard to get a laptop much below that because of the wireless and touch pad services and such.
You can also use ccleaner to disable automatic startup of any apps that you want to start manually, or not at all.
Bloatware can also be malware, in that it can be loaded with code that tracks usage for marketing purposes, apps like toolbars are good examples. I was able to get the rig to a reasonable number of apps buy just doing uninstall and registry clean, but it's hard to know that you have got rid of everything with some of these apps. Of course, if I have to do a re-install, I have to start all over. I would be happier with a clean install and an image I could go back to.
Some OEMs make an installer helper app that lets you install windows from a standard install DVD and still setup the hidden partition, load drivers, etc. I suspect that the helper shoehorns in all of the bloatware, but I don't really know that for sure. It may not if they use the same helper app for all of their models. If it doesn't, that would let you set up a nice clean install and still have the hidden partition for restore, which would be nice. That may be worth looking into.
LMHmedchem
