And to add the best thing about using an older almost obsolete laptop is you can just treat it like a recording device. Just use it for recording and put it  away until next time. No need for messy anti virus etc. 

I'm also shopping for a laptop to run X3 and was wondering the same thing.
I'm considering this machine:
 
 HP ENVY TouchSmart 17-j185nr Notebook PC (ENERGY STAR)

 
Anyone have any thoughts on this computer?
Thanks.

Cactus Music
And to add the best thing about using an older almost obsolete laptop is you can just treat it like a recording device. Just use it for recording and put it  away until next time. No need for messy anti virus etc. 

And if you do intend to use it for other purposes, you could set up a dual-boot.

Until it is tested with  DPCLAT  you won't have a true answer. 
90% ( ? wild guess ) of all the  modern computers can run Sonar. But some combinations of hardware do not play well together so it will always be a crap shoot until each system is tested. 
 

lawajava
 For audio engineering having two hard drives should take precedence over an internal DVD drive.

It had never clicked with me that the DVD was being replaced. I just guessed you guys were buying bespoke laptpops with 2 hardrive slots. I guess that you can get a DVD type casing to hold the second Hardrive, that provides an enclosing of the Laptop case where the tray would normally comes out.
 
Glad I have picked up on this, as I'm looking for an i7 laptop, but options are limited here (Vietnam). One I had seen, had no DVD option, which didn't bother me before, but now I see the potential.  
 
 

I have a HP Envy with touch screen, as long as you don't mind portable USB drives for audio it really is a dream.
 
Ben

How important is the screen real estate. Cakewalk advises, 1280X800, but most laptops are 1366x768. Do you lose anything from view or is it compensated. I have been watching the Groove 3 vids on my little notepad, but without the continuous/play/volume options due to the 600 height.

Just throw it on any ol' thing to get going!
 
Computer recording is great and kinda stable these days, but I still don't think I'd trust it for live recording, one wrong click and everything is gone!
 
Eight mics won't go far if you're recording a whole band. Go for 16 mics.
 
Maybe you can stack two of these things for 16 tracks under $1000.00 dollars. Pretty cool.  I know it seems a little expensive, but I spent about $1000.00 on two eq's in my younger days! Try to find some used ones.
 
TASCAM DR-680 Solid State 8 Track Location Recorder   
http://www.musiciansfrien...rack-location-recorder


Then import it into Sonar to clean it up, add effects, etc. I think you can even master in Sonar these days.
 

Don't worry about the money. Buy what you need. You only live once.
 
I know a small town glass company, the owner told me he spent $29,000.00 for a machine to bevel the edge of a glass sheet. He said he might use it once or twice a year, but when he needed it, he needed it.