Question : Problem: Can an old laptop be used as a second monitor?

I currently use a Dell Inspiron 1300 for home use, XP home installed as the operating system and also have an older NEC Versa  laptop. I am a great fan of using two screens and being able to drag items between them. Is there a simple way to use the older NEC as a second monitor? What sort of cable would I need and would there be a need for any extra software?

Answer : Problem: Can an old laptop be used as a second monitor?

What you are describing is essentially a dual monitor setup, and using 2 computers to do this is not really feasable. There is  software out there like synergy  http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/
that allows you to use one keyboard and mouse across two computers but it doesn't support Drag & Drop.