Road warriors engage in a constant battle for battery survival when traveling long distances. This will probably always be the case. As battery technology advances, notebook power requirements seem to follow. Low-power models aren’t geared toward the power user that loves to tinker with something more than a spreadsheet and some e-mail during flight. Those that make frequent use of optical drives will love this article. You’ll be taken through the general power requirements for various typical operations, and shown where you can cut some corners in power consumption. Even minor changes in your optical habits can stretch your computing pleasure long enough to finish that gigantic bag of pretzels. [Furo]