There are many many options for you if you want a laptop that will run windows "well" (even if most of them suck).
But that's rather the point. I'm willing to trust a clean Windows 7 installation and well-known drivers not to be phoning home. Given a system that was never contaminated with junkware, I then have a reasonable chance of only getting stuff I choose on there afterwards and keeping control of what applies downloaded software updates and when, and that is my primary requirement in software terms for a system I'm willing to trust. The desire for a good spec is just because so many business laptops are overpriced junk here in the UK, and the physical switches are just safeguards to mitigate things like zero days attacks or, frankly, embarrassing forgetfulness.
I don't really buy the theory that the source for everything you install theoretically being available somehow makes your privacy better protected. Given that I'm not going to personally audit the entire source code of the OS distro being installed -- and neither is anyone else who buys these laptops -- the benefit is largely illusory, and the reality is that I'm just trusting the distro and everyone contributing to it instead of trusting the likes of Microsoft. Either way you're also assuming the system is secure so any privacy you start with will stay that way.
But that's rather the point. I'm willing to trust a clean Windows 7 installation and well-known drivers not to be phoning home. Given a system that was never contaminated with junkware, I then have a reasonable chance of only getting stuff I choose on there afterwards and keeping control of what applies downloaded software updates and when, and that is my primary requirement in software terms for a system I'm willing to trust. The desire for a good spec is just because so many business laptops are overpriced junk here in the UK, and the physical switches are just safeguards to mitigate things like zero days attacks or, frankly, embarrassing forgetfulness.
I don't really buy the theory that the source for everything you install theoretically being available somehow makes your privacy better protected. Given that I'm not going to personally audit the entire source code of the OS distro being installed -- and neither is anyone else who buys these laptops -- the benefit is largely illusory, and the reality is that I'm just trusting the distro and everyone contributing to it instead of trusting the likes of Microsoft. Either way you're also assuming the system is secure so any privacy you start with will stay that way.