[clug] Linux Laptop Machine Compatibility Gold Standard

[Hal]

Last time I was in the market for a laptop. The IBM T42 was the the 
thing used & recommended by linux hackers as having the best support out 
of the box. It surely did, everything just worked with a knoppix disk. 
(Support actually has deteriorated over the years because ATI opened 
their specs so the free drivers were re-written and are considerably 
less usable nowadays  but who cares? The laptop is dying anyway and 
nobody uses radeon mobility 7500 cards anymore. Stuff happens.)

Is there a similar machine that is used and recommend by more kernel 
hackers than any other nowadays? Or is it much of a muchness? Perhaps 
you pays your money and takes your pick?

Ideas?