[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.