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So I've decided to start or say Im attempting to tune my friends and family cars. Everyone always has problems at work and it started off just trouble shooting what's their cel lights or why its bogging messinf around with safc etc. So Im not looking to make a career with this but just want to have fun.

So what laptops do u guys prefer using. I'm no techy at all.

You can use any laptop that has windows on it. Windows 8 does work but some of the hardware like the chip burner and data logging cable do not have signed or working drivers for them so it makes the process a little bit harder.
I started out with a netbook running on windows xp and later switched to a an dual core Intel with 4GB of ram. The netbook was slow and the screen was too small especially when data logging in CROME.

Overall if you start from nothing. Look to spend at least $700-1000 for a laptop, burner, datalogging cable, CROME Pro and an ostrich 2.0 for rom emulation if your going to go the cheap route. There is more to factor in such as the Chipping kit and so forth, but the learning experience is well worth it especially if you have a vtec motor, or know someone who does that you can tinker with.

The rest is how well you do your research and the actual experiments to get started.
There are also advance projects you can do such as running an Arduino to display information using an LCD screen that will show you what is going on with the motor. Then there are wireless bluetooth connections that you can do to display data on your Android phone. The possiblity is limitless, but it overall it costs $$ to get started and to collect data. You can do what I do and that is to sell chipped ECU to fund your projects or chip ECU to clients.

Thanks a bunch. That really helps. So do u recommend getting something with a dual core regardless? Oh and here in MN there's a few ecu "chippers" but their base maps are exactly that...base maps. Im sure I can sell burned chips quickly. $25 here and there. Should fund a few things. But thank you. I will be posting furthur progression.

Oh btw I have a ecu that I just bought. Its a chipped p28 with datalog and quick release 28 pin thing. But it looks and was told its the old school way of tuning. I'll take a picture later maybe someone here can advise me...thanks.

Also what kind of solderer and de-solderer do you guys recommend using to chip ecu's?

The quick release is a slim zif socket latch for the chip. This is more of a permanent solution when your ready to sell off an ECU to clients with a chip.

As far as a solder equipment goes you will have to experiment with what you feel comfortable. The same thing goes for the desoldering.
You can get a solder/desolder station for $100-200 dollars. But really, you need to practice in that skill area before you start out, or you may damage boards left and right.

You will easily find out that base maps are crap and every motor is different so you cannot use the same tune off of one engine and slap it on the other without something not working right especially converted OBD0 to OBD1 cars.

So I just picked up a laptop thats a Dell. Its better than a dual core but not as great as a quad core. I hope that this laptop can run a few programs with not much issues.

Anyhow I'm getting a chipped/socketed ecu tomorrow that's proven to work and what not. I was just wondering so could i burn like a base map ecu into my chipped/socketed ecu and then take out the chip and use it in another chipped ecu. I think thats how I'm going to start funding this a bit first. Also for start ups for guys using like e85 and/or bigger injectors or turbo/supercharge cars do i just find a map thats similiar to their build here somewhere or how does that come into play?

You will find out once you start playing with it. Thats all I can say since there are tons of ways to go about doing it. I'll tell you right now that you have to invest, find out what other people sell that works and then improve on it and use it for yourself. People do not give out trade secrets easily.

I can understand that but I am curious in your own opinion whats the next thing I should buy to officially start messing around?

Plan to get a chip kit and then a chip burner. I highly recommend a GQ-4x chip burner since it supports a wide variety of chips and chinese clone chips.

If I were you I practice soldering first......The technique is hard to grasp.
Here is what I bought first starting out not knowing wtf I was getting into:

-Moates OBD1 bench Tester
-GQ-4X Burner
-Crome Pro license
-OBD1 P06 ECU
-Ostrich 2.0
-10 chip kits off of Xenocron
-10 datalogging cables
-1 vtec conversion kit for the P06

I spent about $800 just for the stuff above alone, because I had a laptop, soldering station, and the crome license already. Over the year I outsourced and found alternatives to parts and kits so I can get them way less than what people sell online.

-what's a bench tester for?
-how much does a gq-4x burner run for? would a moate burner2 be ok too?
-I have a p28 ecu and a chipped/socketed p28 also
-I cant grasp the take on what the ostrich does. I do understand its important for realtime live tuning...am I correct? can you give me a link to what it does and how it works? I don't to seem like Im not looking at things. I think im just looking at all the wrong places.
-I was planning to get the moates burner2 with the chips...but your other statement on getting a gq-4x is making me a bit indecisive.
-why do I need 10 datalogging cables?

my whole plan for right now is just to adjust 2 steps...engage vtec at a certain time and give these guys that already have chipped ecus a basemap to run turbo...nos...e85...motor swaps etc. start up maps? I know its very little but this is my first goal so I can fund a bit of this tuning/chipping thing. What do you think I should get just to do this at the moment?

I wanted to just get a burner...crome pro license(will this last forever or do I have to buy it every year or so?) some chips.