Do I need CAT tool-specific hardware?

No. CAT tools like SDL Trados, MemoQ, and memoQ run on standard hardware. They benefit more from RAM (16GB+) and display space than from specialized hardware.

How important is keyboard layout for multilingual work?

Very. Consider a keyboard with blank or international keycaps if you frequently switch languages. Learn to touch-type in all your working languages to eliminate the need to look at key labels.

Best Setup for Translators and Interpreters