Look for wireless hardware from Intel or Atheros, and make sure ahead of time that it's supported with the right Linux driver.

Dedicated Video Card

Unless you're very sure that you won't ever be using your laptop for anything involving more than just the most minimal graphics, your best bet is to buy a laptop with a higher-end, dedicated video graphics card. If you'll be dual-booting, that's even more true. The majority of Nvidia and ATI/AMD cards fall into this category, but make sure you confirm before you buy.

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