[Dr. Sivana]

That would be in the Kernel. And Kernels can be swapped out in Linux.

Not completely. Some hardware (e.g. scanners) have hardware that is in a separate program.

[Openurmind]

That is true, proprietary ware is different.I was just sharin that choosing a distro is not as important as choosing a Kernel that supports the CPU. Most Kernels support basic hardware except some externals like printers and scanners. But even now newer printers and scanners have Linux drivers available or Linux generic drivers run them fine.