I was investigating recently options which laptop I can buy to be able to use Linux without any issues. I've checked Lenovo Legion 5 with AMD processor. Looks like good machine for a price, but touchpad is not gonna work out of the box on the latest stable Ubuntu. Kernel upgrade is needed (or PopOs distro that already has needed patch).
For me kernel update does not sound as something big, at least I know that something like kernel exists in Linux, the point is that average computer user these days does not have such knowledge.
That was just one example. Many people can give more and more on various issues. Some edge cases with routers provided by ISP. With wifi repeaters/boosters. With printers. DLNA equipment connectivity (I had this one too - again, after googling I've installed some software and it started to work, but average... and so on).
Typically older equipment and standard peripherals work ok. But people use all kind of stuff.
If you want to use Linux on laptops, the best option is Fedora. Of all the mainstream dependable Linux distros it has the most up to date Kernel and other bits (like Gnome). This means that its support for hardware is usually the best. On Lenovo laptops with Intel graphics everything works perfectly out of the box with no issues (all the way down to fingerprint readers etc.).
I also find it to be stable and generally good distro, but of course that's more subjective.
It helps, that some Thinkpads do ship with Fedora OOB. Lenovo worked with Redhat to have the support for these models upstreamed to the respective projects.
If you don't need discrete GPU, check out Intel Dell with Linux support. I recently bought 3410 with pre-installed Ubuntu and it works flawlessly, both with Ubuntu and with latest Fedora.
Touchpad is not Macbook-level, though. But may be XPS is better.
For me kernel update does not sound as something big, at least I know that something like kernel exists in Linux, the point is that average computer user these days does not have such knowledge.
That was just one example. Many people can give more and more on various issues. Some edge cases with routers provided by ISP. With wifi repeaters/boosters. With printers. DLNA equipment connectivity (I had this one too - again, after googling I've installed some software and it started to work, but average... and so on).
Typically older equipment and standard peripherals work ok. But people use all kind of stuff.