All the places I look seem to be about either laptop types (too broad) or specific laptop models (too specific). Where can I find a decent comparison between the actual manufacturers (Dell, Toshiba, Apple, Acer, etc.)?
Cost is only part of the question, I would also like to know which manufacturers in general will offer certain features.
That is a difficult task. Every manufacturer has its pros and cons. A particular model can only be compared based on the specs of a similar model from another manufacturer. Then comes build quality, design, brand popularity, price etc.
Make up your own required configuration, like processor, ram, graphics, hdd etc. Then find out models from different manufacturers with your set of hardware. Then finally compare them.
Try here
http://www.notebookcheck.net/
Hope this helps…