got a new laptop w Win 8.1 and I want to install a DAW on it.  since i've had sonar for years, I understood that I could install an earlier version on a different machine, so I TRIED to install X1 on Win 8.1, but it did not work well.  SO, question is, since I installed X2 and X3 on my main desktop, can I install X2 on the laptop and register it on there, or is the X2X3 combo install on the desktop considered as using both licenses on the desktop?  Maybe I'll just put Reaper on the laptop or try something new for under $60.  It would be nice to have something that would export easily to X3.

Why not install X3 on the laptop (or X2 and X3 if you wish). Cakewalk permits installation on more than one machine as long as only one machine is in use at a time.

Guess it's been a while since i read the license agreement, lol.  I guess I don't need all the features and wanted to keep the progs limited on the laptop.  I'm gonna do all major mixing on the desktop, so I don't need the whole kit n kaboodle on the laptop.
 I just looked up the music creator software and that my be a possibility, since the lt is a touchscreen.  Is it 24 bit?  and does it save in files compatible w X3?

Do an advanced install of X3 and install as little as you want. You can always add plugins running the advanced install again at a later date. If you are going to purchase MC make sure the projects are small enough to work within the track and plug-in limits. MC is a 32bit application. The project files are portable but features such as ProChannel will be unavailable in MC.

Pretty sure all Cakewalk files are compatible even back to day one. 
But why pay for another version? Just do a custom install of X3 and don't load the extra stuff. I still install Sonar 8.5 just to get True Pianos. But I install it bare bones without any of the extra content, tutorials, sample files and none of the duplicated synths or effects. It makes it way smaller. 
You can always add stuff latter anyways.