There is bloatware. There's always bloatware.
But okay, if you insist...
Opera Mobile. It's generally considered one of the best browsers for Android. In my opinion, the only flaw keeping it from perfection is the super aggressive auto complete that cannot be disabled. A lot of people will also swear by Dolphin HD, and Mozilla Firefox, AFAIK, is trailing these two.
TapaTalk. If you want to ever nef from your phone, it is a godsend. It does have a cost associated. Again, if you might nef from the phone, spend the couple bucks. I would not nef at all from my phone if it weren't for that app.
Swype or Swiftkey X. I know Swype is in beta, I think SK is also. My personal preference is Swype, because I like to use big words, and Swype does that better than SK. Both of them blow away the stock keyboard.
No Lock. Disables the lock screen. Personal preference, you might not give a damn about the lock screen, I don't like it very much. Install it, try it, if you don't like it, no harm, just delete it.
Dropbox. The ultimate way to move files around between computer and phone. Just get it.
Epistle. If you want to do notes for some reason, it works great with Dropbox.
Facebook. Only applies if you use Facebook, if you do, Android Facebook app, beats the stock HTC app.
Gmail. Does this need an explanation?
Handcent SMS. Majorly a personal preference, there's a few other texting apps, and the stock app isn't all that bad. I prefer Handcent after a few months of using it, and Swype requires it.
Picasa Tool. If you want to shoot and share pictures from the phone, it's useful. Otherwise, don't worry about it.
Prey! GET THIS. Or some similar "halp my phone is lost/stolen" app.
RealCalc. Better than the stock one, if you want a calculator.
If you want custom ringtones, Ringdroid and Ringo Lite are a nice combo.
If you want movie or video playback, RockPlayer Lite, although that might be a root app, I don't think it is.
ScanLife, scan QR codes. I've yet to make use of it.
Shazam, recognizes songs by listening. It's fun, and since "memory" is plentiful, who cares?
And yeah, that's about it.