But getting a computer with preinstalled Linux doesn't guarantee that you will be free of a system laden with demoware, nor free from proprietary software components and drivers. Nor proprietary installation and maintenance tools. It also doesn't keep you safe from being the victim of a supported software selection based on the highest bidders for your desktop. And watch out for technical tie-ins designed trap you into using their, or their partner's, products or subscription services, such as the hardware vendor's own Linux distribution and paid update service.
Research the computer to see if the OEM is truly catering to the Linux community and mindset at large. Find out what has happened when other users have tried to install the more generic Linux distributions. The first thing I do when I get any new computer is blow away the installed OS and re-install anyways so that I know what will be involved and what resources will be needed to do this when it has to be done during a crisis. This is a good time to test for general Linux compatibility by trial loading other distributions.
I've heard of Linux-preloaded systems that still require you to maintain a MS-type partition (DrDOS / MS Windows?) to run the vendor's diagnostics. Don't know if there are examples of such systems that won't even boot without this partition.
