I could recommend HP 510, comes with Xp Home. Intel Centrino 2.23Ghz (not 2.13 as advertised on every site that lists for sale), 60g hard drive, 512 ram, altough did upgrade later to 1gb but made no noticeable difference, multi DVD, wirless, Brightscreen.
Selling about £350. Yet to see any game not run smooth and with the right codec plays just about anything.
Seen a few reviewers running 3d design programs ok.
Only down side battery life, about an 1 hour, which for a laptop on the move you need some decent battery capacity.
But then i begin to think, what would a £800-1000 laptop do any better?
A bit like everything else in life... think we are conned in to thinking more£££, it must be better?
Recently saw a Dell, similiar spec, £300.