If you want to use linux on the desktop, you have to buy your hardware with linux in mind. You don't have that concern with Windows because mainstream PC manuf

If you want to use linux on the desktop, you have to buy your hardware with linux in mind. You don't have that concern with Windows because mainstream PC manufacturers need to support Windows to be profitable, but there's the exact same problem with OS X. It feels a little different because the OS comes preinstalled, but you're still choosing the hardware for the OS. If you buy a machine that is reputed to work well with linux, it works well with linux. If you don't bother to check that, you might end up with a bit of homework.