1. **State the problem:** A laptop originally costs 209. The price is increased by 12%. We need to find the new price after the markup. 2. **Formula used:** To find the new price after a percentage increase, use: $$\text{New Price} = \text{Original Price} \times (1 + \text{Percentage Increase})$$ 3. **Apply the formula:** Here, the original price is 209 and the percentage increase is 12%, which as a decimal is 0.12. $$\text{New Price} = 209 \times (1 + 0.12)$$ 4. **Simplify inside the parentheses:** $$1 + 0.12 = 1.12$$ 5. **Calculate the new price:** $$\text{New Price} = 209 \times 1.12$$ 6. **Multiply:** $$209 \times 1.12 = 234.08$$ **Final answer:** The cost of the laptop after the markup is **234.08**.