What your going to want to do first is check the hardware and components to see if they are compatible with Linux.
You might want to check out this site to see if your video and monitor are compatible:
http://www.xfree86.org/
And you can actually go here to see if someone has ever loaded Linux on the type of laptop you have here:
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/
Other resources would include sites like
http://www.linuxdoc.org and such on. Research first before deciding to install.
Hope this Helps in any way.
Drew