One of Dragon Ball’s biggest dilemmas, the androids, could have easily been skipped. When Trunks comes from the future to warn the Z Fighters about the imminent threat of Dr. Gero and his killer androids, Bulma comes up with an obvious solution: She proposes that they gather the Dragon Balls, wish for Dr. Gero’s location, and stop him before he has time to make the androids.
Despite how easy this solution sounds, the Z fighters vote against it. They decide that they would rather just train to get strong enough to beat the androids. It sounds almost silly, but this choice may have been for the better in the long run, although properly assessing the decision requires a hard look at the facts.
The first thing of note is Trunks’ warning. He arrives from the future three years before the androids are scheduled to make their first appearances. He tells Goku who they are, when and where they’ll first appear and what they’ll do, including killing the Z Fighters. After Goku relays the message to the others, everybody has nearly all the information they need to get ready for the androids.
Naturally, the Z Fighters’ solution is to train to fight the androids, but Bulma has a much simpler solution. If they use the Dragon Balls to summon Shenron, they can ask for Dr. Gero’s location and stop him before he even has a chance to build any androids. This solution would require far less effort than facing the androids directly.
All the Z Fighters have their own reasons for opposing Bulma’s idea. Vegeta refuses to be denied the challenge of fighting the androids. Goku doesn’t want to take initiative because Dr. Gero technically hasn’t done anything wrong yet. Tien would rather take the opportunity to improve himself, a sentiment the other Fighters likely share. None of the warriors want to take the easy way out, even though they’re all scheduled to die.
However, in hindsight, the decision to fight the androids might have been the right one. If the Z fighters hadn’t trained, they would have been woefully unprepared for the threats that come after the androids, especially Cell. While Cell can’t achieve his Perfect Form without absorbing the androids, he can still grow strong by absorbing innocent civilians. Even in the Android Saga proper, Cell is able to use this alternate method of acquiring power to overpower Piccolo, who had not only trained but also merged with Kami to magnify his strength. This is to say nothing of the threats beyond Cell like Majin Buu or anything from Dragon Ball Super.
Besides new threats, there are a number of unforeseen consequences of stopping the androids before they get built. Krillin would never have met his wife Android #18. Gohan would never have a reason to surpass his father -- a major part of his character arc. Piccolo and Kami would never have settled their differences through merging. Dende would never have been made the new Guardian of Earth. The Z Fighters would never have met Mr. Satan. These are among the many scenarios that Bulma could never have predicted based on her suggestion.
As easy as making a preemptive strike would have been for the Z Fighters, the characters turn out well enough on their chosen paths. They get stronger and become better people thanks to the trials that the androids put them through. There are also plenty of other good things that come about thanks to their choice to fight. Taking the easy way out is usually a good way to cheat oneself out of a worthwhile experience. The Z Fighters don't have regrets for the decision they make -- nor should they.