When I bought mine, I simply brought a live CD in the store, and asked to try it on their laptops. I explained them what this is, and that I want to check the compatibility of the different components with Ubuntu. I sometime had to explain what Ubuntu was...... One place told me a flat NO, that I could not try it. I ran out of the store as fast as I could. At the store where I actually bought my portable (in Dec. 2006), I tested that the display was actually working on the internal monitor, at the full resolution, as advertised on the spec sheet, that the wireless adapter was found, and that I could use the card reader, with a card I brought in. I finally tested the sound itself, which was rather easy to do.
Today, you could bring Linux on a USB disk instead, or even an SD card. Also, in 2010, you should expect every sales rep on the floor to be at least know about Linux. Usually, they should understand that starting it from a CD, especially if this is a branded one, not burned at home, there is no harm that will be done on the machine.
NOTE: The fact that some components are not discovered right at boot from a live CD does not mean that Ubuntu will not support it. Chances are that you will find the proper driver for it. You will just have some manual setup to do.
You may also want to note the brand names and models from a store and check on the net, with Google. You should usually find either some test cases or message exchange about it that will give you a good idea about the model you are looking for.
I've owned two SSD's, an OCZ Vertex 2 60GB (controller died in 5 months) and am now happy with an Intel 320 80GB.
I've had no issues with it in comparison with a mechanical HDD.
On the software side, most vendors provide utilities for SSDs which (unfortunately) only works in Windows due to bug 1. These fancy toolboxes often have an alternative in the repositories or system (examples: TRIM on-demand, erasing the disk). Since firmware updates should be applied when the disk is not in use, it's neither an issue for not using it in Linux.
Some interesting links:
Not limited to Linux, but to SSDs in general: Jeff Atwood has an interesting blog entry about the lifetime of a SSD. It should not stop you from buying a SSD, if it dies the manufacturer (or reseller) will replace it if it's within the warranty period. But the reason for buying one is it's speed. I was amazed with my first SSD, everything start almost instantly without hearing a disk spinning.
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You can have a look in this site it has Ubuntu-certified hardware for Laptops, Desktops, Servers and Netbooks