I'm using Linux on various laptops since 2010 and I haven't seen any problems. These are from multiple vendors and categories:
Asus EEE 1005HA
Asus U36G
HP EliteBook 8470p
HP ProBook 430 G6
ThinkPad x220
Acer that I don't remember by model number (I have installed it for others)
Yes, the wifi issue is solved since like 2013. You usually only need to install firmware, which is a standard package from your distribution's repository (some user-friendly distribution even do this for you).
Asus EEE 1005HA
Asus U36G
HP EliteBook 8470p
HP ProBook 430 G6
ThinkPad x220
Acer that I don't remember by model number (I have installed it for others)
Yes, the wifi issue is solved since like 2013. You usually only need to install firmware, which is a standard package from your distribution's repository (some user-friendly distribution even do this for you).