Need a new "house" Netbook - buying in the UK
 

My old iBook is slowly dying and needs replacing.

I can't/don't want to spend Apple money on a replacement.

Need a small Laptop (11.6"+) to go from kitchen to lounge. Gmail, Web Browsing and the odd open office document. Probably won't leave the house with it.

I do not want an iPad! I want flash and fully featured web browsing with a keyboard. I don't need apps (other than my iPhone).

At least 3 hours battery life for convenience.

Don't want to spend more than £350. Happy to spend less, would like it to last at least 3 years before replacement.

Can wait if there are newer models coming out with better price/performance in the next 3 months.

Any suggestions?

I'm typing this on my 6mo old Lenovo s10-2.

Paid 175USD shipped directly from Shanghai.

I'm loving it.

Yesterday I ordered the Lenovo X100e with the Turion Dual-core 1.6GHZ processor, I'm still waiting for it, so can't give much more feedback. I know they have a single core processor version (Neo MV-40 1.6 GHZ) that should easily be within your price range.

At 11.6 inches with a full keyboard, It's positioned as an entry level ultra-portable, above most netbooks for performance, but below most ultra-portables for cost. It comes with 1-4 GB of memory and hard drives up to 320 Gb.

The selling points for me were the light weight (less than three pounds) and portability with a more robust processor than a traditional netbook would have.

At your price point, virtually every netbook comes within range with cash to spare.

They've improved significantly since the old days and, to me, they're all pretty good now. Any 6 cell model should last 4-5 hours in real world conditions.

Just find a model with a keyboard you like and wait for it to go on sale.

The Samsung NB30 should cover your requirements (the screen is 10.1 in though) and is 'toughened' since you mentioned the kitchen. The reviewer at Reg Hardware tipped a glass of water on the keyboard (and quickly tipped it off) to no obvious ill effect. The review can be found here and it can have touchscreen as an option.