That's useless advice. Even Webcams from laptops as older as 6 years may still not work under Linux. Anything which has an Intel webcam for example is almost guaranteed not to work, outside of perhaps a couple of popular models (like MS Surface devices, and then not precisely "out of the box").
The rule still is to get either a Linux-supported or at least a Linux-popular laptop, even if it's more expensive or doesn't match all your features/requirements. Then it doesn't matter whether it's 6 years old or brand new. It will work.
i.e. it's more important for it to be Lenovo and the correct line than the age. But not all Lenovo are equal. T/P stuff is likely supported out of the box even if brand new. X depends on popularity of the model. Tablets/IdeaPad stuff.... look elsewhere. (Lenovo is just an example, leaving other brands for the reader).
> That's useless advice. Even Webcams from laptops as older as 6 years still don't work under Linux. Anything which has an Intel webcam for example is almost guaranteed not to work, outside of perhaps a couple of popular models (like MS Surface devices, and then not precisely "out of the box").
I have 5 laptops on linux at home, all but one being from a "pro" line (ie Lenovo thinkpad, HP elitebook, Dell latitude, all have a working webcam. I'd say with the exception of fingerprint readers which I never cared to test all the functionnalities have been working from day 1.
I think anyone is safe provided you buy profesionnal models,
don't buy the latest and newest tech and avoid nvidia GPUs.
Any laptop that has a webcam connected to the intel chipset (the IPU) instead of USB UVC is basically unsupported under Linux. Most consumer laptops use the IPU (e.g. IdeaPads, Miix, HP Elites, Surfaces, all Chromebooks, etc. ), while most business lines use much more standarized USB UVC webcams. The reason is cost, as usual. USB UVC is basically a separate device; IPU webcam is much cheaper (processing is done on the intel chipset, you can use a MIPI sensor like on a phone, you don't even have real hw-controlled privacy LED but a software facsimile, etc.).
The IPU3 (Kaby Lake era!) is the only one generation that has been upstreamed, and as of today it only supports 2 types of sensors that were used in a couple Lenovo Miix models. Nothing else!
There are some patches floating around for the Surface devices of the era [1], but nothing upstreamed. And of course any newer IPU is out of the question (Intel is now at IPU6).
And it happens that all of these IPU3 webcams that work with upstream kernel are mostly because of the effort of just ONE guy, who is not employed by Intel, and who did not even know C a couple years ago (if you happen to be reading this, kudos to you!).
I can confirm that Surface cameras work fine on Linux (even without a patched kernel), and Ideapad webcams that I've tried also work just fine. Not sure where you're getting this from, or if it's still an issue anymore.
I've been using Linux as my main OS for almost 15 years.
Even on very cheap HP laptops, following this rule has worked for me flawlessly so far. Between telling people "you should spend more money on X just to be sure" and "Y is cheaper and it is very likely that it will work", I'd 100% recommend them trying the cheaper option first. Even if it turns out to not work, they can always return it and go to the more expensive alternative later.
The rule is not "spend more money", that's just bullshit. You buy the most expensive laptop they have it is almost guaranteed not to work, because no one else will have bought it. The rule is to keep yourself to the business/professional lines, or otherwise the really popular models.
And not only I have _never_ bought a new laptop ( always used/refurbished/thrift) , but for the past 12 years I have been submitting patches to Linux to support the laptops I get. Once you get outside of the popular lines, there is very few people doing that. It will not happen in 6 months or 6 years unless you do it.
Typing this from an HP laptop which even 6 years after release did not have all WMI hotkeys mapped.
I know you didn't say "buy the most expensive", but you said "stick with professional models" which comparatively are more expensive than general models which can work just fine.
The rule still is to get either a Linux-supported or at least a Linux-popular laptop, even if it's more expensive or doesn't match all your features/requirements. Then it doesn't matter whether it's 6 years old or brand new. It will work.
i.e. it's more important for it to be Lenovo and the correct line than the age. But not all Lenovo are equal. T/P stuff is likely supported out of the box even if brand new. X depends on popularity of the model. Tablets/IdeaPad stuff.... look elsewhere. (Lenovo is just an example, leaving other brands for the reader).