Detailed Netbook capabilities/recommendation?

Considering purchase of a netbook to have something “thin and light” for email/web use around the house & to take notes at college using Microsoft OneNote.

However, would also like to “remote desktop” into my higher-end Windows 7 machine to run more demanding apps. For example, would love to sit on the sofa with netbook & be able to “remote desktop” into my “main” PC in home office, and run apps such as Photoshop Elements, MS Excel, or Family Tree Maker.

Is this realistic with a netbook? Don’t want to spend several hundred dollars for a glacially slow machine…just b/c it’s thin and light.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.