Hi,
I travel a lot and so my primary trading computer is a notebook. When at home I plug it in to an external monitor for a second screen and have a second smaller laptop running for communications and as a backup, etc.
I shopped quite a bit for the main laptop I am using now, and was really looking for something with as near to a desktop in performance and stability as possible.
If you are in the market for one, take a look at what the computer industry calls desktop replacement models. The ones I was looking at are all 17" and rather big and heavy as far as laptops go, but all have 1gig ram and solid processors. Big and heavy, but I can deal with that for performance.
Although there are other options, here are the final three I was considering:
Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513
Pentium M Processor 2GHz, 1GB RAM, 120GB Hard Drive, 17-inch Monitor 1440x900 native resolution.
about $2900
HP Pavilion zd8230
Pentium 4 Processor, 3.4GHz, 1GB RAM, 100GB Hard Drive, 17-inch monitor, 1440 x 900 native resolution. about $2100
Sony Vaio A790
Pentium M Processor, 2GHz, 1GB RAM, 100GB Hard Drive, 17-inch, 1920 x 1200 native resolution.
about $2700
The Toshiba was probably the slickest of the bunch, but I probably wouldn't use all the media-center stuff it comes with so didn't want to spend the few extra $$ for it.
The HP has a couple of nice features. It has a regular pentium 4 not an M, so it really is like a desktop performance wise. But the pentium 4s get hot and battery life is pretty bad. And really, the Pentium M's are really fast and solid these days, and you wont set your desk on fire with them. The HP also has a full size keyboard with a separate numeric keypad, which is handy if you are a trader into hotkeys.
In the end, I went with the VAIO because it of its 1920x1200 native screen res.
At that resolution text is super small and its pretty hard on the eyes if you are using it to surf the internet, so be warned, but I can fully trade of it with just the single monitor when not at home. Totally happy with it so far. I get a butt-load of esignal charts on that thing and run a DOM right next to it when trading the ES, and get like 6+ decent sized charts and 3 level 2 screens and a few quote boards if I am trading equties.
Because of that screen, I think it makes a pretty kicking trading computer if you aren't going to use it a lot for a bunch of other text related things, or don't mind small type.
But really, all three are pretty damn nice and would be plenty enough computer for most trading.
Hope this helps,
Enzo