Powertop is a good tool and a dead easy install to add. I also have a custom Linux remaster that I did that runs openbox and based on the latest ubuntu 9.04 and its focus is on power savings and running on older hardware. It has a utility with a gui that lets you tweak various options and users have reported better battery life. It is called wattOS and is listed on distrowatch. Check it out at http://www.planetwatt.com/ tks.....Ron

You can confirm they are not a 50 year old male that likes stuffed animals. There are a million more options now then before. Also being a geek or a nerd is certainly more accepted than it used to be. Tech Rules! Risking getting myself nuked off the board, I created my own social networking site just for nerds to network also. Its called nerdscout (check out nerdscout.com)....yes I created it because facebook devolved to beer pong and popularity contests. But groups on craigslist also have interesting things to check out in your city with some eclectic interests.