[apalrd]

You can code C++ on just about anything.
Same with LabVIEW. It even runs on that little Atom in the Classmate (it runs quite well, although the screen is too small to fit the splash screen)

I use a Dell with a dual-core CORE2, somewhere around 2ghz per core, with 2gb RAM and a nVidia GeForce GO 7900, but that is powerful enough to do CAD and play 3d games. I also have a very old laptop I used to use for IFI Dashboard, because it had a serial port, and it was from like 1999 and had like a 400mhz processor, I made it run XP, it ran IFI Loader and IFI Dashboard. I always developed on my normal laptop, so I never tried MPLAB.

The point is that any modern laptop can handle coding. Actually, just about any laptop that still is in decent condition will handle C++, and almost

Edit: 2 others beat me to it.
Also, I have a 17" 1920x1200 screen, it really comes in handy with large VI's. It unfortunately does not fit in the designated space for the programming laptop on our robot cart, but I just set it under the robot or on top of the robot or carry it if it must go out with the robot, which isn't often.