Advice needed - revamping an old 10" vaio into a competitive netbook

I would like to revamp my old 10" Sony Vaio PCG-SRX99P laptop into a usable netbook. I rarely use it these days, so I'd like to turn it back into a nice road warrior.

Current specs:
-850MHz P3-M
-256MB RAM
-20GB HDD
-Worthless battery
(unfortunately I can't find specific specs anywhere)

Desired specs:
-512-1024MB RAM
-8-16GB Solid State HD
-New 4+ cell batter

I'm not very knowledgeable about hardware so I'm not certain how possible upgrading an old laptop like this is. It would be wonderful if I can make it semi-competitive with current $400 netbooks for much less than $400. One thing I really like about it is its PCMCIA slot - something today's netbooks lack

Any advice/suggestions/direction will be MUCH appreciated! Thanks!!

A quick Google returned this page:

Which shows your max memory as 384MB (you'd have to replace your existing 128MB stick with a 256MB) and of type: PC133 SDRAM MicroDIMM

If it's going to be attached to AC, I would simply get a fast 2.5" HDD. Solid states are still over-priced and over-hyped.

** To clarify - unless you are going to spend big bucks on the latest SSD, you will get much more "bang-for-the-buck" from a newer rotational HDD. The MTRON SSD used in this review is ~$1000 (for 32GB) with good performance, while the 16GB SSD Transcend at $300 (for 16GB) is a much lower performer. Those prices are a year old and they've come down - the Egg has a 64GB for $160. The performance notes still stand. Keep in mind you need an EIDE interface.

A search for battery returns many hits.

Size of storage is low priority - quality and mobility are what's important to me. How do I know if an SSD will even work well in my laptop - or is an EIDE connection all that matters? I'll look in to rotational drives.

Do you suggest I buy a brand new battery? Is it very difficult/dangerous to manually replace the cells?

How do you think the P3-M processor compares to the new Atom ones?

Thanks for the reply =)

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or is an EIDE connection all that matters

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The drive needs to FIT in the laptop (2.5" has been standard for years), needs POWER and a DATA connection. A laptop that uses a 2.5" IDE drive has a standard connector for these - yes, IDE is all that matters.

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Is it very difficult/dangerous to manually replace the cells?

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Do you break open the "cells" of your car battery and replace them? Yes, you will need to buy a new battery.

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How do you think the P3-M processor compares to the new Atom ones?

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In this context, it doesn't matter - you cannot replace your CPU. It's most likely that the CPU is attached to the motherboard and cannot be replaced separately.

Ok, good deal.

I ask about the battery because howtos on that topic are common. Of course I figure it is dangerous - but it's an area I've never researched.

I imagine laptop motherboards can't simply be upgraded to a newer model - I ask about the processor not to consider a replacement, but rather to gauge whether this project is worthwhile. Weighing my options atm.

Thanks for the prompt replies.

I have a 900 mhz, 256 mb ram, 20 gig hardrive, dualbooting Puppy Dingo and NimbleX 2008 running wireless with a Dlink WNA 1330 Wireless G cardbus. I pack it in my motorcycle saddlebags and it connects wirelessly to any free hotspots and surfs reasonably fast. Even watch flash videos. Thats my road warrior.