I would extend it out to laptops and Linux in general. I've tried a few times over the last 10 years or so to use Linux on normal consumer laptops (Dells, Thinkpads, etc.) and it's always a really bad experience. Wifi issues, battery life, etc. have major problems. In the end I just gave up trying and use a MacBook with virtualization for running Linux.
I use Linux on ThinkPads since 1999 or so.
I can not remember issues I could not solve.
Just last week I installed Debian Wheezy on a X61 and everything worked out of the box. Works like a charm.
This is a helpful resource: http://www.thinkwiki.org
Yup, Thinkpad X60 with Intel wifi cards seems to work OK provided you add the non-free firmware iwlwifi package. Some of the X61 and X61s series had an Atheros wifi card and would work from a default Debian install.
I've also had good luck with a Dell Latitiude E5420 (i5). This and similar models have a Broadcom wifi card which is a known problem so I simply purchased an Atheros half size wifi card and popped it in. Unlike Thinkpads, the Dell bios will take hardware changes in its stride.
Of course, we should not have to do these things. Perhaps as laptop sales decrease, a crowdfunded fully free laptop will become economically viable.
I think this just depends on the make and model. I did a bit of homework before purchase a few years ago (to ensure good compatibility with GNU/Linux), and my Dell Inspiron N7010 has been serving me faithfully for years. No major wifi issues, no battery life issues.
Similarly, I did some research before I bought my Dell Latitude E4310, and it works flawlessly with Ubuntu, and always has.* Graphics (both on screen and on external monitors), WiFi, sound, even Bluetooth.
It's not a guarantee, of course, but my general impression is that going with "pure Intel" (CPU, GPU, sound, WiFi) laptop helps ensure compatibility.
*It's possible that the battery life is worse than Windows; I wouldn't know, because I've never used Windows on it.
