What is the motivation for Lenovo to keep making that software? I can't imagine it would be cheap for them, and I find it hard to believe people buy their products for the preinstalled software; Are there other reasons?
When all vendors sell products running the same OS, with essentially the same keyboard, screen, processor, etc., their products become commodities and margins disappear; consumers will buy whatever costs least.
If consumers associate a special experience with your product, you might be able to charge a little more or at least have some brand loyalty.
One could also differentiate by focusing on a custom-tailored UI/UX. This is a bit harder to do with Windows than it is with Linux (including Android), though.
I have the same priorities, but how do you know which vendor's hardware is more reliable? All we have is anecdotal experiences. FWIW my experience is that HP's business product lines are most reliable, and Dell's business lines have relatively many quality issues. The HP Elite laptops have exceptional serviceability (better than any I've seen -- find a video and just look at how the laptop case opens for service) and tech support.
> I'm sure I'm not alone (though probably part of a minority of shoppers).
Consumers buy on price, but the priorities of business IT departments are similar to yours: reliability, serviceability, and support; the costs of downtime and skilled labor for repairs far exceed the savings from buying cheap machines. Each vendor sells consumer (e.g., Dell Inspiron), and business (e.g., Dell Latitude) product lines. Maybe try shopping the products they sell to corporate IT; those match your priorites. They cost more, but you get what you pay for.
Patently absurd, I know, but when you drink enough Kool-Aid...