Ok, I am a TOTAL linux newb and pretty new to real computing as well so bear with me. First, let me give a disclaimer: I AM A NEWB, please don't say something like "oh, the search function still works does it?" because most of it I don't understand... /disclaimer.

Ok, that being said, I might be buying a laptop for my freshman year in college soon (for the life of me I CANNOT DECIDE BETWEEN A LAPTOP AND A DESKTOP AHHHHH) and was wondering about linux. Reading this board for the last day, it seems that installing linux on a laptop is a hardware recognition nightmare. I think I am going to use Mandrake or Redhat (hopefully newbie freindly) and was wondering what problems I might encounter or which distro seems best based on the above info, he is what my laptop build would looklike parts-wise if it helps:

Pentium M 2GHz Dothan
1024Meg DDR333 LL memory kit
60 GiG 7200 RPM HGST (Hitachi) Travelstar
Not sure on the CD/DVD drive but will prolly be a CD/DVD read and write drive
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 Meg)
15" TFT SXGA+ 1400X1050 LCD
Not sure what brands for the ethernet, wireless, and modem

thanks in advance

Your configuration seems to be good for most modern distros, however be careful of ATI graphics cards because the official drivers are a pain to install on linux compared to nvidias. I've used Mandrake on a Sony Vaio laptop and everything worked perfectly.

for my research the radean mobility 9700 (128) is the best graphics card I can get in a low weight laptop (don't want to start that kinda discussion here lol). How was the ATI stuff a pain?

Jaster,
I'm also a near-total n00b both computers and Linux. I bought the cheapest non-Dell laptop I could find (because I wasn't going to do much beyond Internet and word-processing), the Gateway m305CRV (M305 series). It's cheap and only $800 except it mandatory comes with Winblows, so the total cost was $1023 or so. I bought (with money, so I could get a paper manual, which I didn't!!!) Mandrake 9.2 for desktops. It loaded ok, exepct the screensize was way off. I had to go into the xdrake window to guess my resolution size (I was smart and had a geek on the phone while I installed :) Other than that it recognized nearly everything (like, it'll ask you what kind of printer you have and give you a list. My exact printer wasn't there, HP Deskjet 5650, but the whole family was there so I picked the closest one 5600 and it still works).
If you buy a laptop your modem 99% won't work! Most laptops have a PC cardslot. Forget trying to get the "modem" in you laptop to work, just buy a PCMCIA card modem. All 3 of my distros recognized it (Mandrake 9.2, 10, Redhat Fed Core). Tell it during install that you have no mouse, else the little finger mouse thingie on the laptop won't work (unless you want to buy a mouse :)
Also, I bought a laptop mostly because I hate using more energy than I need to, but because of some APCI bug (see the other thread this forum) my Linux makes the fan run all the time. Windows XP didn't.
Desktops are big, energy sucking, and they're kinda hard to bring to class :)
--gaviidae

I have an old dell inspirion 8100 this old comp is about 3.5 years old. ( very happy with it.)
I run linux on it.. The graphics card is an old Gforce 2 GO (Nvidia)
Over the years the Nvidia guys got there act together and are producing very good linux drivers..
Easy to use / install.. etc..
Now I am a Red Hat Linux'er.. (it seems Nvidia produce those drivers first... ( so note that.. forwhatever that helps)... now back to your side..
I myself have just recently purchaced a new dell inspirion 9100.. ( bells and whistles. included.) it also has a nice ATI 9700 in the unit.
I did not think that much about researching on getting a linux graphics driver.. as these guys are beating on the Nvidia competition doorstep... ( yeah right.. big mistake by me.).
I have just resigned myself to reading the boards again for the hope that sombody out there in the ATI team finaly writes a linux driver for the graphics card I have.
Mind you I can still run Linux.. but I cannot view any GL graphics or have a high res screen to look at. ( rather pathetic..)
This ATI descision realy makes me regret the ATI purchase .. as if I bought the Dell with the Nvidia graphics set.. I would be quite happy watching my nice
high res GL graphics running as we speek.

So now I have resided myself to making the odd squeek in all the linux and manufacturer forums trying to get a graphics driver..
I can only guess as to how long it will take. (6 months to 1 year.... my first guess.)