Para já, isso parece ser já possível para impressoaras e placas de rede.
A seguinte passagem parece-me interessante para aqueles que querem intalar Linux num portátil:
The first comes from Montreal, Canada -- it is called "DriverLoader" and created by Linuxant Inc. Simply put, it is a revolutionary "compatibility wrapper" allowing standard Windows NDIS 5.0 drivers (the network driver standard used by Windows and on an earlier spec revision by OS/2 too) as shipped by hardware vendors for windows users to be used as-is on Linux x86 systems as well.
Driverloader immediately gives Linux users the ability to use network cards "for which no adequate native open source drivers are available" -the company claims. The company has currently released a technology "demo" that allows owners of 802.11g 54mbps Wireless LAN devices (CardBus and PCI) based on Broadcom chipsets to use their devices under Linux.
Poderá ainda não ser a solução que muitos procurar (X1010 users, por exemplo), mas é um bom sinal.
Já agora, o link: http://www.linuxant.com/company/press_dldr.php



