content: Shell coding and writing your own drivers is an extremely uncommon thing in modern linux. I have a live USB with Linux Mint 17.2 on it and I boot it on any machine I can get my hands on to see how it works. I have some custom assembled gaming PCs, no issues. 2 different netbooks, no issues. Macbook Pro (intel based), no issues. Several different Dell laptops that I have used for work, no issues. I am not trying to sell you on Linux, I don't really care what you use, I just want you to be aware that Linux is not all "typey typey nerd stuff". You don't need a computer engineering degree to run it. I set some teenagers up with it and they liked it better than their Mac.