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I find primed linen is much easier since I don't have to worry about what to prime it with, in what layers or sequence (rabbit-skin animal glue, archival lead primer and and all that). I don't have to sand in between the layers of lead-based primer or worry about getting lead dust from all the sanding into the air and into my lungs.
I also understand that after priming linen with that sort of stuff you have to wait weeks or months until it is cured enough to work on. (Perhaps someone who actually does that process can jump in here and clarify.)
I buy rolls of Claessen's 13 double primed linen (thanks for the recommendation, Sharon Knettel!) and I love the stuff. You may find the single primed is a little easier to stretch. I just slice off a piece and after 20 minutes with my staple gun I'm ready to paint.
I stretched a 26 x 40" canvas just the other day and it came out drum tight, with a perfectly smooth primed surface and, best of all, it's ready to paint on as soon as I put in the last staple.
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