Can I connect and control 12 Arduino's over USB/serial to my laptop?
From a technical standpoint, USB can host up to 127 devices, so 12 Arduino boards is certainly not pushing the limit. Having 12 serial ports shouldn't be an issue in either Linux or Windows.

From a practical standpoint, you will have to find a powered USB hub which can support that many devices, or plug multiple hubs together. I'll leave that up to you as shopping recommendations are off topic.

In terms of the hub you use, you need to make sure you don't exceed its maximum current rating. The Arduino boards draw typically around 60-100mA alone. 12 of those and you will need at least 1.2A rating. The hub you mentioned says that it cannot exceed 2A. Depending on what other circuitry you attach to your Arduino boards you may need an external power supply for the boards.