Laptop bags are getting expensive. It would seem that a lot of professionals are looking for a nice laptop bag at a reasonable price that is both functional and at least slightly attractive at the same time. The problem is that cheap laptop bags are hard to come by, and when you do find one it is usually of poor quality.

Well we have done our research and came up with this list of cheap laptop bags that we think will serve your needs in style, quality and functionality at bargain basement prices so here you go.

The Targus 15.4in Messenger Notebook Case - This is a really nice bag that fits most laptops up to a 15.4in screen. It has extra protective padding in the notebook compartment and includes some functional features such as, media storage compartments, notebook accessory storage, two zippered file compartments and an adjustable padded strap. After checking around online we found that the average price for this bag is $27, but we hunted one down at ANTOnline.com for only $19.

The Case Logic Canvas Messenger Bag - Another nice, professional looking laptop bag for a budget price of $29.99. It has a padded notebook compartment, holds notebooks up to 15.4in and it has two internal and one external zippered pouches to carry your goods. We found this one online at Dell.com.

The Mango Tango Pink Canvas Stripe Notebook Bag - Here is a laptop bag for the ladies, no we didn’t forget about you! This laptop bag is sure to let you be seen and it carries laptops with up to 13.75″ screens. The average retail price for this bag is around $40, but we found them online at TheNerds.net for $32.

The Case Logic Lightweight Sport Messenger Bag - This is actually one of our favorites! It has a nice sporty look, but still professional enough to be carried in the office and it’s made of a heavy duty nylon so it stands up to the daily abuse. This laptop bag fits most laptops up to 15.4in it has zippered storage pockets, a padded carrying handle and a contoured shoulder strap. We found the average price of these to be $60, but Dell.com has them for $43 which is under our $50 budget for this list.

CalPak Messenger Bag and Laptop Bag - For only $49 this bag has room for just about anything you want to carry. This laptop bag has two large main compartments with extra padding, additional storage space on the bottom, a complete organizer inside the flap and a mesh accessory pocket on the front to get you going. You can get one of these online at Amazon.com.

The Kensington Saddlebag Pro Notebook Carrying Case - Kensington makes a pretty good product and this bag is no exception. Not only does this have the typical padded carrying handle and adjustable strap, but you can also convert it and where the bag like a backpack, really nice feature. It has a little side drawer for easy access to accessories, without having to pull everything out, and the bag is very professional looking. This is normally a $60 bag, but you can get it at BoomJ.com for $46.

Do you have a favorite laptop bag that you bought for under $50, share it with everyone in the comment section below.

We are all looking for a good deal and laptop batteries are no exception. But what happens when you buy a cheap battery that quickly loses its kick? You don’t want to have to go out and buy another battery, then you will have spent more than it would have cost to get a good one originally. Or maybe you already have a really good laptop battery and you just want to keep it running at its peak performance, to prevent a future purchase. Either way you need to know the secrets to extending the life of that laptop battery, and I am going to share them with you.

So what exactly can happen if you don’t take care of that cheap laptop battery? This video says it all, if after watching the video you are convinced to take steps towards improving your laptop batteries performance and life, then just follow the simple tips we have included below the video.

Take care of your battery and keep it clean. I should probably say this twice, but I won’t. Taking care of your laptop battery is crucial to its performance. Over time the metal contacts on the battery will build up gunk that can cause the battery to work harder than it should in its daily operation. So once a month, pull out the battery and wipe it down with a cloth, clean off the contacts and you will extend its life.

Don’t allow your battery to discharge completely. Allowing a battery to completely discharge can have very negative effects on the overall performance and life of the battery. Often times we find that by draining the battery can in some cases cause complete battery failure or drastically shorten the charge capacity of the battery. What this means in plain English is your battery will die and/or not hold as much of a charge therefor draining quicker than it should.

Many manufacturers recommend that your battery is stored and maintained at around half or 40% charge to maintain optimal performance. Always read the user manual that came with your laptop, or if it is a replacement battery read the included documentation.

Add more memory or RAM to your laptop. Many people would speculate that this method will not help to save battery performance due to the fact that more memory requires more power to maintain. While this reasoning is true in part, if your laptop is short on RAM, your hard drive will be constantly running to make up the difference, via your swapping file, which in turn would use a lot more power and battery life. If you are using a laptop that has say 512mb of RAM, increasing this to 1gb should be more than enough to maintain optimal performance. (more…)