I regularly travel to London and Oxford on business and have been a tourist there as well. If you have a netbook, it'll be perfect. A laptop is also fine. You'll want it for researching stuff to do on the fly. Couch-surfing, pub-crawls, restaurants, etc. Internet Cafe's with actual computers are a dying breed. Most places expect you'll have your own hardware. There is no "region code" to change on your wireless. It'll work fine. Your laptop (and most any electronic) power supply already handles the 240V 50Hz power out there. It'll say on the power supply. All you need is a plug adaptor; a very passive, cheap device. If you bring a phone, make sure it is tri or better, quad band GSM and if you plan to use your US carrier, make sure to call them and add international use (free to add, expensive to use) so they don't block your phone from logging in out there.
Be your own tourist. Some people here are telling you to go museums and what not. Tourists will tell you what bus tour is best. Forget all that. If you like to walk around town, the city is certainly walk/tubeable, even in winter. If you don't like museums much here, you won't there. If you're in to history, you'll love the place. Things like the Tower of London are a thousand years old. If you like pubs, there are some great, historical ones a tube ride away (e.g. The Hollybush pub in Hampstead). Like any metropolitan city, there is great fashion, food, arts and entertainment.
Other things to be aware of. Hotel ratings are not like they are in the states. A three star hotel out there is awful with leaky plumbing and old furniture. Some of the hostels are actually quite nice though if you bring ear plugs. Look right before stepping in to the street. If you get a chance to drive and you like it out here, it is a blast out there! Oxford and Kent aren't far. Flights on discount airlines like Ryanair are cheap if you want to hop up to Scotland or Ireland. Don't over plan or overpack.