[krinchan]

The article pretty clearly lays out it's at least functionally B. The problem is Dell doesn't publish the drivers necessary for the Windows installer on it's website. You can only reinstall windows from the recovery partition or via online download via an EFI program, similar to Apple Recovery's online re-installation. Those install methods include all the Dell bloatware and telemetry settings cranked up to 11.

[toast0]

If Dell really wants, they can use Windows Platform Binary Table (WPBT) to install their bloatware on a clean install of windows too. I think most OEMs don't use that for all of their bloat though.

[amluto]

The computer in question seems to be a laptop, and it’s almost certainly (c). Yuck.

[krinchan]

I meant b from the first set which maps onto c from the second set. Lol. I should've been clearer.