Recommended specs for a word processing notebook?

I'm looking for a little 10-inch laptop for schoolwork and browsing, not gaming or anything intense like that.
Looking for what recommended minimum specs I should be on the lookout for.

I'm considering this little Samsung 10.1" Netbook featuring Intel Atom N455 Processor (N145)
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/.../10161401.aspx

My local pc folks are selling it for $400 CAD tax included, including $73 upgrade from 1G ram to 4G.
Good price?

I'd rather buy from a local store than purchase online, if not for reliability of purchase and continued support options.

 

one with long battery life and fast internal hdd

 

I couldn't get the link to work.

I believe that Intel Atom 455 is old technology and it should be priced accordingly. 400 dollars sounds like a bit pricey, as I got my EEE PC 1015PN for 370 euros, and it has a multi core processor and a nVidia ION graphics chip.

455 has only one core, and if I guess right, the netbook you linked does not have a separate graphics chip. Be aware that while it may run cooler than ION or Tegra solutions, it is slow. You can't use it for looking at HD content or playing, altough normal web browsing and text processing are possible if a bit of waiting isn't a problem for you.

If you are going to use the computer for more than basic tasks, consider 12 inch laptops. They are equipped with more powerful processors and can handle multiple applications at the same time.

 

I've had a Samsung NC20 netbook for a couple of years and I really like it. Keyboard is very well-designed, keys are large enough not to provoke finger cramps even with extended use. Great screen quality. Touchpad is surprisingly good. Unfortunately had to get the XP version as I couldn't wait for the W7 one, but when I replace this one I'll definitely look first at the successor models.

There are great user reviews and comparisons on Samsung netbooks here:

http://www.sammynetbook.com/

 

You could always go for a tablet instead. I recently ditched my old laptop for a tablet and havent looked back since. Its very portable, the battery lasts a lot longer than any netbook i've ever used and it uses flash memory for storage so access times are fast. Its great for web browsing and playing media. Whenever i need to type for an extended period i simply connect a proper keyboard. Its able to do everything i needed my laptop to do but without many of the probems that portable laptops seem to have.