You may be looking for how to run GNU/Linux on an other type of laptop. I'm not that experienced on running Linux on a laptop, but at http://www.linux-on-laptops.com you'll find a whole bunch of links to other documents like this one. If you're lucky, yours is in there when you buy it. If you're not (like me), then you'll have to do it yourself.

Also, http://www.linuxdoc.org may be of interest; this is the central site for Linux HOWTO's, FAQs and guides. But you probably already knew this one, right? ;-)