Help with McAfee/other bloatware removal

Hey all, I have a question and was hoping someone could give me a hand.

I just got a new Lenovo Thinkpad Y550 pre-loaded with Win 7. It did not come with a windows disc or anything because of something called "OneKey recovery" or something of that nature, and this is giving me problems BECAUSE...

...there is quite a bit of bloatware and miscellaneous crap already installed on this machine and i have read about this stuff slowing machines down even when they are relatively new. i want to keep this machine in good shape unlike the last one i had a couple years back. so i was planning to do a clean install (never done it, just read u could do it..) but am assuming that it would require a CD.

so anyway, could someone help me out with the recommended avenue for ridding my pc of stuff that is not needed or would bog it down? (including McAfee...and then be willing to recommend a good, free AV suite?)

i apologize in advance for the long list (as im basically unsure of everything and its been quite a few yrs since i had a machine) but am at a loss... not exactly computer illiterate but want to get it right.

plz tell me, if possible, which of the following can/should be removed. things i have not tried deleting thru add/remove prog yet but am considering:

-adobe flash player 10 activeX
-adobe AIR
-adobe reader 9.0.1
-business contact manager for outlook 2007 sp1 (the reason for leaving this is upon uninstall, it asks if i want to also remove microsoft SQL something or other, something i read is important to leave on there??)
-acrobat.com
-activation assistant for the 2007 ms office suite (planning to acquire a full, non trial version of Office shortly...any need to keep this?)
-dolby control center (necessary for sound? i use both headphones & spkrs & built-in spkrs on occasion)
-lenovo easy capture
-lenovo easy camera (not sure if one of these is for the webcam or not, as i dont have a digi cam atmoment)
-MCafee security center

-mnicrosoft office 03 web cojmponents
-ms office 07 primary interop assemblies
-ms SQL server 2005
-ms SQL server native client
-ms SQL server setup su-pport files
-ms SQL server VSS writer
-MS visual C++ 2005 redistributable (x2, one saying x64)
-onekey theater
-realtek HD audio driver(which reminds me, theres a "realtek hd audio manager" icon in my tray that im unfamiliar with and wondering if it can/should go)

anyway thanks alot guys, i hope yall will forgive me for bein such a 'n00b' but i already spent like 3 hrs googling and removing various things and tryin to evaluate their importance etc.. and didnt get too far. need to get outfitted with some AV quickly!

appreciate the help
-scott

 

hey, thanks man. yeah, there are a couple on that list like the ones you mentioned that i'm pretty sure are more or less essential... or if not, close enough to where i'm not gonna mess with em.. but i figured id just drop the whole list for the sake of being comprehensive.

but yea, thanks dude. xp was definitely my comfort zone.. just trying to acclimate.

peace