can you give some advice?

Main use : microsoft word/notepad , internet , skype ,gimp and notepad++

I was about to go for a sony vaio M...but I'm not sure.

iPad. Really. With the prop case it's easy to write on (I've taken to writing [long] blog entries on it). No word but you know you can write on it and print to printers (get airhack). image manipulation: check (not gimp but there are a few options and if you're doing photoshop level work, a netbook isn't the right choice anyway). Internet: check, Skype: Check (I use GIZMO). VNC, SSH, built in VPN. Honestly my laptop use has been cut by 1/2 in the past 6 months since I've had this thing (only video editing will tether me here)

I am loving my Lenovo ideapad! especially with MeeGo installed.

I have a 10" msi netwook and the 11.6" macbook air. The macbook feels much easier to handle, slips in easier into my bags and performs a lot faster than the netbook.

If it's still within your budget, I would recommend that.

sorry my budget is like 400£..........

Sorry but ipads is just too much off budget....sorry guys I need a netbook for my uni.


Amazon now sell this netbook for 290£ and with the VAT back offer from Sony is like 245£.....what do you think guys?

I bought an Averatec N1231, a MSI clone with Atom 450 1.66ghz cpu, 1gb ram, 160gb hdd for $200 some time ago. After upgrading ram to 2gb and installing Windows 7, it is now my favorite computer to use (I have SONY VAIO 17", HP TC1100, Samsung Q1UP, Archos 5 and several Nokia tablets). It also turns out to be the lightest (2.2lbs) and thinnest (1") 10" netbook out there--very good for traveling. With the low prices today, you can definitely get a decent 10" netbook for about $300 in the U.S. All you need is to spend another $40 to upgrade the RAM. I would recommend netbook over tablet if you plan to watch videos occasionally (unless you don't mind holding a tablet in your hands for e.g. 90 minutes). Unlike a tablet, a netbook has a build-in keyboard that can be used as stand, and the viewing angle can be easily adjusted.

This is a difficult question to answer not because of the lack of answer but because of the number of answers.

The thing is netbooks are quite the same in many regards. There are some differing factors you would need to decide on to narrow the choices:
1) Price - there can be a $150 disparity in this field. I would recommend something used so you get more bang-for-buck.

2) Features - does it have all that you need?
Some have HDMI outputs, most have Wifi (b/g ... n), Bluetooth (sometimes not available), SD readers, how many USB sockets.

3) Graphics Power - don't expect much but here's what you should look out for:
ATi 4330 (the best performance in this list - but halves the battery life - look for the switchabble solution)
Nvidia ION/ION2 (uses as much battery as the ATi but has only ~65% the grunt)
Broadcomm Crystal HD accelarator (not a real GPU, but it will let you have 720p videos and it barely shaves 2hrs off battery life)
Intel GMA (the embedded GPU - great on battery life, bad on anything 3D or 720p)

4) Processor Performance - here is what I believe is best-worst:
Intel SU3500 (rare find - equal battery life to N450's but twice the horsepower)
Intel Z540 (equal performance to N-series but offers the best battery life)
N455 (same as N450 but allows DDR3 type RAM - speedier overall system)
VIA U2250 (slightly lower battery life but slightly better performance over the N450).
N450 (same as last generation N-series but better battery life)
N270/N280 (the bottom of the barrel)
Anything from AMD or other competitors will not be suitable due to heat, size, or battery life restrictions. Also avoid the dual core N550's, they halve your battery life.

5) Overall Quality - the keyboard (really important - test drive/read reviews), the touchpad (really important - test drive/read reviews), the screen (glossy/viewing angles/brightness - test drive/read reviews), the looks (there are some handsome), the feel (slippery, grippy etc), the weight, the size (some are quite thick).

I hope this checklist will help in your search. If anything good comes into mind I will post it here.

Screen resolution may also be important (the OP mentions Gimp). On Intel-based machines you're pretty much stuck with 1024x600, but higher options do exist.

@andil: That sounds like a decent budget if converted to USD, but I guess things are a tad more expensive in UK.

I agree 100% with lma, I think you'd really appreciate the high resolution screen. HP mini-note 2140 should be available preconfigured with the high res screen (1366x768 or so) for around that price.

buy a sony vaio tz its really light, really thin, really nice battery life (carbon fiber)you have to choose if you want ssd or dvd drive its quite old but really sexy laptop i bought 2 and install windows 7 boot time is under 20secs. its cheap now 800$ here in the us...
watch the review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG0DSvblce0