In my case, a Lenovo ThinkPad, but there are other lines of laptops that are well supported. If you're buying a laptop to use with Linux, you really ought to do some research first because not all vendors make provide enough documentation for drivers to be developed. If you go to install Linux on random hardware, there's a chance you'll uncover weird driver bugs like wireless or audio not working after resume from sleep. Even so, there may be a workaround (eg. reloading kernel modules) if you expend some effort.
If you're buying something new, you should use Linux's 1% or whatever puny desktop market share to reward hardware vendors that support open source. If you're installing Linux on whatever's lying around, be prepared to spend some time tracking down strange bugs.
I'm not the parent, but I have the same experience with Ubuntu 15.10 on a Lenovo T440s. And I know, I know, Lenovo and their spyware are awful. All the more reason to dump their stock Windows install for linux ;)
Thinkpad 750 ('95), dell something(until 2000) and then thinkpad x24, x31, t42, x200 tablet, x230 (not good), x220
Basically with various forms of linux - Mandrake, Redhat and then Ubuntu for the past decade. Rule of thumb is to pick thinkpads (or business class laptops) and pick Intel hardware where possible.
I bought the new Dell Precision 5510 (Business version of the new XPS 15) this week.
With a 4.4 kernel, Everything seems to work more-or-less fine.
There's one or two issues with the graphics stack (HiDPI display, Nvidia Card), but these have workable solutions.
Heck, my last laptop (Sony Vaio Z), more-or-less worked too.
I think you've just got to follow one rule: Intel, Intel, Intel.
"more-or-less worked" is the story of my 15+ year history with Linux as a desktop. Unfortunately these is always one or two small but important thing which doesn't quite work which always eventually sends me back to windows/OS X.
Not trying to troll here, but in my experience this is true as well. You know what the culprit usually is? PULSEAUDIO ... oh my. I appreciate that audio is a complex solution, but it seems that even suspend issues often come back to, "oh, well pulseaudio isn't letting it ..." sigh
Funny you should say that. Pulseaudio, and not getting it to work reliably with Skype, was what one the main things that drove me away from Linux on my latest attempt to switch.
If you're buying something new, you should use Linux's 1% or whatever puny desktop market share to reward hardware vendors that support open source. If you're installing Linux on whatever's lying around, be prepared to spend some time tracking down strange bugs.