I have a netbook that I use when I am away from home. I like it because it is so lightweight and it will fit in my purse. Weight was the big factor for me plus the fact that I wouldn't be using it that much.  I went to Staples and looked at both before buying. Be sure to check them out to see if you like the keyboards and such before buying.

Be careful though ...netbooks are often underpowered computers. I have one and it works for occasional use but i wouldn't use it everyday. And before you say "but i only surf the net, send email and occasionally type something" these tasks require a good computer to run well. Many sweepstakes uses java/flash etc (not to mention a good internet connection) and can be really difficult to enter on a netbook let alone a good laptop or desktop computer.  Make sure you look at the amount of ram a computer has before you buy it...a computer without enough ram is useless!

I wanted to update on this post. I finally bought a laptop. It is an ASUS. It cost about $500 at Best Buy. So far it is handling everything I throw at it. Could not be any happier.