hey underground.... i'm running meta pro 9 for esignal real time.... meta gives some minimun computer specs for its program but its doubtful you could buy anything new nowdays that could not handle it....... the weak link will be your internet connection..... esignal publishes some specs on that..... i have broadband, wireless and dial up, about 53k here, and have no problems..... my computers range from the $600 walmart hewlet packard types to the top of the line from dell..... no difference in preformance was noted..... also i have the best dell lap tops down to the inspiron 8600's again no difference in preformance was noted...... at times thats running 40 or more real time with experts attached ...... most often its less than 15...... my preference is the 8600 inspiron, which i'm using now, due to light weight, portable and wireless capabilty ...... again its doubtful you could buy anything new that would be undesirable....... couple things you might want to consider, budget permitting and of course theres no rush..... flat monitors and get the largest you can afford..... if you plan on using more than 2 monitors be sure to opt for the best graphics card...... dell puts the 20" on sale for under 600 every now and then..... also if you plan on using the experts in metastock to a large extent or if your using power etrade platforms, it might be wise to have a second computer to do the actual trading.... h