Its important you concentrate more on the peripherals that come with the computer rather than the CPU. For example if you want to get FireWire support, make sure you get an OHCI compliant card----the ones from Sony won't work with Linux. Make sure your video card is supported by Linux.....nVidia has Linux drivers on their site...which is what I like....what I like is that the Manufacturer provides Linux drivers---not some third party open-source drivers. If you want to get a Webcam, you can get a list of supported devices from linux-usb.org (.com I think). By making careful decisions about the peripherals, I am sure you will get a smooth installation of Linux. BTW, HP printers are good. HP is supporting the open-source drivers development of Linux drivers. What I hate is products that don't have linux drivers available AND the manufacturer refuses to release the hardware specs so taht Linux drivers can be written. I can't give you a list of such devices---you just have to search device at a time. Unfortunately I bought my Dell computer before I got Linuxinized. The next time I buy a computer, I will visit those sites that sell pre-installed Linux machines. Salman