If you are using DOSBox, then the requirements are actually rather high because your machine has to emulate another machine and to then play the game in this emulated machine. As such, DOSBox is VERY CPU intensive as that CPU has to virtualize the DOS hardware machine in software.
If you are using eDuke32 and having problems then all I can suggest is playing with the settings. Extract the eDuke32 archive (or run the installer if you have the installer version) then copy the DUKE3D.GRP file into the eDuke32 folder.
Run eDuke32 and select a resolution (start with a small resolution, maybe in a window if you want - the in-game settings allow a resolution change anyway).
As for the eDuke32 HUD, if you shrink the HUD slightly (I think only one notch down) then the original Duke Nukem 3D HUD should be shown. eDuke32 just has a minimal HUD as an option to make it like more modern shooters.
When you get eDuke32 started up, change the video settings. You can switch all the lighting effects and model effects, etc off to make it look exactly like the DOS version.

I'm native Czech, I just creep around the forums and IRC far too often for over an year now, and since general level of language around here is quite good, I can write english just fine. You should hear me talk, really :D Thanks, by the way.

thanks korell, i think i'll heed your advice and not run dosbox on my netbook. i tried eduke and had problems. i expected it to work just like the other 6 games i downloaded (commandos, JA2, duke manhatten, etc) and it doesn't so the hell with it :-)
and take it easy david...it's after 10pm where you are...i'm just finishing lunch!

If you're still trying to avoid DOSBox games you can check out this list
http://dosbox.com/wiki/GOG_games_that_use_DOSBox
But, unfortunately that list hasn't been updated since January.

thanks frank! your link is "broken" but i found it anyway and i'll use it to avoid DosBox games in the future.

damn!
I fixed it. I tried to use that paste url feature and somehow screwed it up. But when I paste it without using that it works fine.
http://dosbox.com/wiki/GOG_games_that_use_DOSBox
Glad you found it:-)

Weird that you couldn't get eduke32 working.
If you bother to give it another go make sure you uncheck the "polymer" box and uncheck the "Enable autoload folder" box. The custom game directory drop down menu should say "none". If you're still having video glitches you might have to uncheck the "fullscreen" box and change the video mode drop down menu to something like 800x600 8bpp.

Given Duke3D was one of the later DOS-based games it can have pretty hefty requirements to run fluently under DOSBox emulation. My notebook has a 2 GHz processor and 2 GB RAM, and I can't run it at an agreeable speed even in standard VGA resolution, no matter what DOSBox output method I use, so I think that even if you got it to run on your Netbook, it would have been too slow.
If you're willing to give it another shot though, and eDuke32 really won't work, you could try another re-implementation of the engine for Windows, JFDuke3D. This one hasn't been updated in almost 5 years, but I'm running it on my notebook (Win7) no problem. You can get it here:
http://www.jonof.id.au/downloads?cat=1
When running the installer, it will in the end ask you to run the GRP file setup. You simply have to point it to the directory in which you installed GOG's copy of Duke Nukem 3D, and it will recognise the game file and copy it.

...and this is why ladies and gentlemen, noobs should not try older good games. ; )