Oh, I think the beef is fair because that isn’t the real question. You’re talking about the blame, not the problem.
Linux hardware support is a concern. And while the blame certainly is on the hardware manufacturers’ docket, it doesn’t mean that Linux hardware support isn’t a concern.
To the end user it is and it is a significant concern in many cases.
The situation is no different with Windows. When Windows doesn’t work well, it is 9 times out of 10 a driver issue. That Windows has the support of the hardware manufacturers is what Linux needs to still do.
Until then, this will always be a Linux problem.
Of course companies like System76 and Purism are working to fix that.
But the way Linux is marketed to a lot of people is that it just works on whatever old hardware you got laying around.
So I think the beef is fair.