I'm thinking it depends on your graphics card. I have the nvs 8400m in me T61 and it's giving a heck of a lot of problems. For example, connecting an external screen means fudging with the xconf. Also screen brightness doesnt work.

Probably all the fault of the proprietary drivers, so it just goes to show that you'll have to pick your laptop wisely if you want Linux running on it.

Yeah I avoided the external graphics T61. Anything that isn't integrated is a PITA on a laptop. I have an Intel integrated one.

My wife's got a Lenovo laptop and upfortunately the trackpad is appalling. Not just worse than my MacBoook Pro, but worse than the bottom of the range Tesco/eMachines laptop that she had before it.

Which model. If it's a G-series, you're probably right.

Anything Lenovo based in Intel preferable with internal graphics.

I have heard that Intel Atoms with internal graphics should be avoided since the graphics on those is not actually Intel's doing, though my eeepc with an Atom/internal graphics works fine.. maybe I got lucky.

I wouldn't recommend getting a Lenovo with an Atom anyway though, if they even sell anything with Atoms (mostly just from a "If you are going to spend money, spend some money" standpoint.

I'd just buy a second hand Intel core based lenovo rather than a new atom one. The market is saturated with Lenovo kit so it's very cheap.

Another happy linux user on Intel Atom Asus eeepc 1215N. It has done well with Arch and Ubuntu.

This could be true, I was referring to iCore chips.

Yeah, those are all a dream and that situation is only going to be improving with all the Valve/Intel stuff going on.

Avoid low end consumer. My G575 basically sucks.

On the other hand, my G530 works just about flawlessly, although a separate wireless keyboard was minor trouble to get set up.

I love my G570. Great value for money. My expectations aren't higher than the price I paid for it.

Yes they are horrible machines. I don't think Lenovo actually manufacture those themselves.

X230 is reported to have freeze issues with ubuntu 12.04 though