There are a number of brands of laptops on the market. Each brand has a loyal following, so how do you know which one would be best for your business' needs? One of the biggest factors going into the purchase of name brand laptops is the pricing. Just about all laptop brands have computers in all price ranges so chances are if your company is in the market for new laptops, you will find one in your price range in a name brand that you trust.

To find the pricing and costs of laptop computers by brand, the first step is to decide which brands you want to look at. Here are a few to get you started:

1. Trust in the Sony name and get affordable brand name laptop computers.

2. Get to know Acer brands of laptop computers and get to know quality machines within your budget.

3. Check out and HP brand name laptop computer and get reliability at a reasonable cost.

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Stick with Sony brand name laptop computers and get the perfect machine in your price range

When you are looking for laptops by brand, Sony may be one of the most recognized names. They have many different technology combinations to choose from so everyone, from the Internet surfer up to the traveling businessperson, will be able to find a computer within their budget.

I recommend: Find the perfect laptop for your company at Super Warehouse where prices for Sony laptops range from around $3,600 down to about $650. J&R will set you up with a great laptop. While their prices are a bit higher, they have a larger selection. Expect to pay from around $800 up to about $4,300 for a laptop.

Look to an Acer name brand laptop when you want a great computer at a great price

Acer brands of laptops have been around for many years and are among the world's top five ranked computer brands. Part of this is because they have very reasonable priced computers. You tend to get more for your money when you go with Acer laptops.

I recommend: Check out Nulime.com. They have Acer laptops for around a reasonable $500 all the way up to about $1,600. pcRUSH.com has prices at about $300 up to about $2,400.

Find quality for a great price with an HP brand name laptop computer

While HP has been around for many years, their name brand laptops haven't always been a top seller because they tended to be more expensive than the other mass-produced name brands. In recent years, their prices have become very competitive and are now comparable to the other major brands on the market when it comes to value.

I recommend: TigerDirect has HP laptops priced from around $400 up to about $2,100. Newegg.com has a great selection of HP laptops that start in price from about $350 and go up to around $650.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Many brand name laptop computers get deeply discounted around the holidays because the new year brings new technology that they have to make room for.

Laptops are often thought of as an unnecessary expense when your office desktop computer works just fine. But since laptops can add efficiency, portability and convenience, the expense may be worth it. Although laptops generally cost more than comparable desktop computers, there are many ways you can cut costs. For example, if you can get by with a smaller screen, a shorter battery life and less-than-lightning-fast speed, you can take hundreds of dollars off the final price tag. The key to finding the best laptop that fits in your budget is to:

1. Comparison shop.
2. Find a deal on a closeout laptop computer.
3. Shop where you can name the price on a laptop.

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Go outlet shopping for cheap laptops

This form of outlet shopping doesn’t require you to head out on the freeway to the nearest outlet mall, but rather go online to find a cheap laptop from one of the many laptop computer manufacturers who offer cheap deals at their online outlet.

I recommend: Find cheap refurbished laptop computers, overstocked merchandise, scratch and dent, returned laptop computers and cheap used laptops online at Dell, HP, Gateway, Apple, and Sony. Also search for cheap computer laptops at the Open Box Outlet Store, Clearance Outlet Store and Refurbished Outlet Store from PCMall.com and the Open Box Outlet Store, Clearance Outlet Store and Refurbished Outlet Store from MacMall.com.

Find deals for cheap laptop computers

Manufacturers, retailers and online retailers routinely offer rebates or coupons on certain laptop computer models. Take advantage of these.

I recommend: Check out BensBargains.net and NotebookReviews.com for coupons, rebates and deals on computer laptops and other electronics.

Comparison shop

If you decide to go for a new laptop computer rather than a used or refurbished one, the key to finding cheap laptop computers is to comparison shop at various retailers.

I recommend: You can compare current store sale circulars to figure out which retailer has the best deal right now at SalesCircular.com. At TechBargains.com you can sign up for email alerts on specific computer notebooks when they reache a desired price. For daily blowout sales on cheap laptop computers, check out USANotebook.com. For more comparison-shopping, check out Bizrate, Dealtime, Pricegrabber and Froogle.

Get a cheap laptop through an online auction

If you want to name your own price and you don’t need your new computer notebooks yesterday, you might want to shop an online auction for cheap laptops. This allows you to bid on a new and used laptop computer and sometimes find an absolute steal!

I recommend: Ebay and InetBid.com offer online auctions for laptop computers, including many used laptops.

Find cheap laptops at warehouse stores

Don’t forget to check out your local warehouse club for deals on computer laptop and computer notebooks.

I recommend: Costco and Sam’s Club often offer deeply discounted electronics - including laptop computers and computer notebooks - that are available exclusively to cardholding members.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don’t sacrifice your needs to get a good deal. Some of the latest laptop computers with memory and speed are available at great deals through online computer notebooks' manufacturers outlets.
• •  If you find a deal at a local computer laptop retailer, but their stock is out, ask for a rain check or see if a competitor will match their advertised sale price.
• •  Don’t assume that you won’t be able to finance a cheap laptop. Many online retailers offer financing on electronics.

If you buy or sell computers, you will want to keep up to date on the latest news regarding laptop computers by brand. More and more people are opting to use laptops either in addition to or instead of a desktop computer. Those who are replacing a desktop with a laptop will want a large, powerful computer, while those who use both may want a portable machine well suited to frequent travel.

When it comes to brand name laptop computers, the many categories of computers are well defined. Usually manufacturers make each category for a different purpose, affecting the price tag. When it comes to laptop computers by brand, news and trends can help you determine the information you need. When you search for up-to-date data, keep the following choices in mind:

1. Look for information on new models organized by brands of laptops.

2. Find sales and popularity data relating to each brand and category.

3. Consider trends in related gadgets and technology, such as WiFi, wireless mice and portable hard drives.

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Keep up to date with blogs about name brand laptops

Blogs are sources of news written by those passionate about a specific topic. The blog format makes it easy for these writers to publish their content to the web. Blogs allow writers a way to easily notify readers of new articles through RSS. Most blogs also let readers leave comments about the article, so you can get consumer reviews relevant to the topic.

I recommend: Read news headlines about laptops and leave comments on the stories at LaptopLogic. Get information, news and reviews about new laptop models at Notebook2day.com. Find news and reviews of the latest laptops at Notebooks.com. Peruse and comment on laptop news at Laptoping.com.

Read news about laptop brands from technology magazines

Technology magazines were among the first print publications to see the value in extending their content to the Internet. Therefore, you can get the latest news in two ways, either by reading their print magazines or by visiting their websites. While some people don't mind reading in-depth articles on a computer screen, some prefer to read printed content; some publishers offer both options.

I recommend: Read the latest news on computer hardware at Maximum PC. Get news and product reviews from a trusted source at Consumer Reports, published by Consumers Union. Find laptop computer brands information, including popular categories, product reviews and the newest models, at PC World Communications.

Get news on brands of laptops from leading technology news sources

Laptop computer brands are part of a broader category of computing and an even broader category of technology. Many technology news sources cover laptop news, and these sources will relate this information against the backdrop of issues that affect and relate to technology use as a whole, rather than the specific subcategory of laptops only.

I recommend: Read the latest computing news from Digital Trends. Check out name brand laptop news and product reviews at CNET. Keep up to date on the latest laptop news from the laptop section of Engadget.

There are several well-known brands of laptop computers that dominate the market. Some of the top laptop manufacturers include Hewlett Packard, Dell, IBM/Lenovo, Apple, Toshiba and Sony. In addition to the well-known brands, there are smaller manufacturers, many of which make custom laptops, like Alienware, Micro-Star International and ABS. Get to know some laptop terminology to narrow down choices to a particular brand or model.

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Hewlett Packard

Hewlett Packard leads the market in laptop sales. The company offers a range of models, including mini laptops, ultra portables and gaming laptops.

I recommend: View the range of laptop models available on the Hewlett Packard website.

Dell

Dell offers several lines of laptops to meet the needs of home, business and gaming. Models in include mini laptops, laptops with custom designs and colors and high performance gaming laptops.

I recommend: Visit the Dell website to browse laptops for home and business.

Acer

Acer is another leader in laptop sales. It offers laptops for home and business use, with advanced features like extended battery life and thin, light models for ultra portability.

I recommend: The Acer website features a laptop selector tool, where users can select from business or home usage categories, main usage and other factors to find the right laptop.

Gaming

Manufacturers of gaming laptops such as Toshiba and Alienware don't make up a significant market share, but they offer specialty features that are often unmatched in standard laptops, as well as customization features. Gaming laptops offer powerful processing and graphics capabilities and high resolution screens.

I recommend: See Computer Shopper for a guide to the top gaming laptops.

Ruggedized

Ruggedized notebooks have special features that give them the ability to withstand heat, dust, drops and other poor environmental conditions. They are usually tested and graded on military specifications. Most laptop manufacturers offer laptops with some ruggedized features. Some of the well known manufacturers that offer specialty laptops for police, military and other professions requiring rugged laptops are Panasonic and Argonaut.

I recommend: Check out Rugged Notebooks for descriptions and features of these types of computers. The Panasonic Toughbook is a rugged notebook with a long history and advanced specifications.

Netbooks

Mini laptops, usually called netbooks or nettops, are ultra-portable laptops. They usually have a display that is 10 inches or smaller, often weigh less than three pounds and are very low in price.

I recommend: An article on the GigaOM Network explains what netbooks are, including history and trends.