Today I "deployed" a HP ProBook x360 G7. By deployed, I mean it was set up with Autopilot, using a configuration with no policies or apps. We're talking vanilla device with Azure AD-Join. Explorer immediately not responding, froze, required hard reboot. This isn't going well.

It looks like the first issue I'm dealing with, is bloat. HP have preloaded a HEAP of utilities and apps on this thing, including stuff that "protects files from malware", "protects the system from ransomware", and the likes. All of it, resource-hogging and spawning micro-VMs...

You read that right. HP are trying to pre-load the equivalent of Defender & Defender for Endpoint (ATP), including a mix of Safe Files, Credential Guard, and Application Guard. Admirable of them, but it REALLY didn't work well. I'm definitely sticking with M365 here.