[pyre]

  > Is memorizing the list of "professional-grade"
  > hardware that works with Linux -- or perhaps just
  > the list of exceptions if that's the smaller list
  > -- worth my time as a professional?

Why the focus on 'memorizing?' When you research the best appliance to buy, do you complain that you had to memorize the specs of (e.g.) different refrigerators? Or do you just do research/comparisons, buy the thing, and promptly drop all of that from memory?

[jfarmer]

Hmm, that's not quite what I meant. I know what I care about in a refrigerator and I know I'll be able to buy one with minimal hassle once I decide I want one. I'm free to research online and I'm relatively confident someone at the store will be able to answer my questions when I get there. I also have lots of friends (and family) who have purchased and installed refrigerators, so I can ask them for input if I want.

My dealings with hardware + Linux has not been like that at all. Instead, what works and what doesn't is essentially arbitrary. Some brands are generally more compatible, but there are always some make/model combinations you want to avoid. And even if it "mostly works" there's a good chance some of the less common features will work poorly, at best. When I say "memorize" I mean internalizing this essentially arbitrary list. The HP 450C is ok, but don't get the HP 451C! That sort of thing.

To top it off, if I go to the store and ask questions about Linux compatibility -- perhaps there's some information I couldn't find online, say -- I'm not at all confident I'll be able to find someone to answer my questions. And even if they didn't, I'd wonder if what they knew was up-to-date or not.