Having used Linux desktop for roughly a decade, it's definitely gotten better. Almost every computer I install Linux on now has working drivers for everything, the vast majority working out of the box. Anecdata, of course, but that's been my experience.

Ease of use also depends on the distro you choose. Ubuntu or Mint will probably be the easiest; if you install Arch, you should know what you're in for. (Before you jump on me, I posted this from a system running Arch.)