Ultraportable gaming... To Netbook or Laptop?

Hi All,

I have been looking for an ultraportable gaming solution for gaming on the go (by 'gaming' i mean LOTRO/EvE/WoW/Dragon Age etc.) - i will be travelling quite a bit towards the end of the year, and i want to be able to take a laptop that can do all the normal day to day (and terribly boring) things i need (like office, web, movies, blah blah) - whilst also being able to be used for 'proper' gaming when work is done etc. Budget available depends - i have seen some ASUS netbooks which look like they can *just* about run things for £300 - or other netbooks that are more than £1k; so at this point some guidance/education as to what is worth is would be greatly appreciated too.

I have seen the Alienware M11x, which certainly seems to tick all the boxes (decent looking processors, good RAM, good OS, solid GPU etc.) but, from reading these (and other) forums, it seems the general consensus is with Alienware you are spending a good few hundred just on the flashy case/brand.

So, my question is, what are the alternatives? I've seen (and fallen in love with) the Maingear Clutch 13, but i can't seem to find a supplier in the UK, and i'm wary of ordering from the US because of the potential headache in shipping/additional costs/any tech problems etc. Then again, i have also seen some great looking XPS machines for around £500 that seem to be pretty decent all rounders than can handle most things i can throw at them.

Alternatively, for around the £500(ish) mark - what laptops would perform the same role? I've looked around and can see several laptops that seem to be considerably cheaper than a netbook of equal power, so wondering what the best option is. Whilst i do love the 'idea' of a high performance gaming netbook, would it be more prudent/sensible/cost effective to go for a powerful laptop, and just make sure i get a decent bag (with a sturdy strap) to lug it around with me.

Appreciate the help everyone - Thanks!!

- Robert