Hi caf4926, hope your all don’t mind the long winded-ness then :
CPU : Intel I5 preferred
Screen Size : 14 inch
Screen Type : Matt screen (this is a must, eye problem)
Video output : HDMI preferred
Graphics Card : Intel preferred (so no nvidia/ati config support headaches in case of updates)
Usage : Normal usage (web surfing, general homework), no gaming, no heavy video editing.
OS : Will be walking through installation of openSUSE (KDE4) with all necessary codecs and Linux Mint with her, to try out (gnome and kde).
If possible, try to boot the laptop to a liveCD before purchasing.
When I purchase a new laptop, I typically narrow the purchase selection down to 3 or 4 different brands, and then I do a detailed search on the Internet for Linux compatibility and Linux experience with those models of laptops. I pay particular attention to compatibility with the graphics hardware (precise device/model #), wireless hardware (precise device/model#), integrated webcam (precise device/model# - preferably UVC compatible) and integrated audio (if possible determine precise hardware audio codec).
Try to avoid hybrid graphics as they are not supported well yet.
You’ll be safe with an Intel wireless chipset, but I suggest that once you have narrowed down on 3 or 4 models say, that you then research online with respect to the graphics,audio , and webcam devices. (Try to obtain the chipset information, or at least accurate and specific model information).