The power-saving SL chip. (20 MHz SL chip for laptops)
by Jill Champion

Intel has introduced a new 20-MHz SL chip, exclusively for laptops, that's supposed to add significant power-saving features. Zenith claims its MastersPort 386SL (currently the only laptop with an SL chip) will preserve an application for two weeks and then resume at the push of a button.

Since most of the recent laptops carry the SX chip--and will for some time to come--your best bet for extended laptop battery use is to buy a laptop with an array of power-saving features. An automatic screen timeout blanks the screen after a period of time passes without mouse or keyboard input, a sleep or rest mode will actually slow down the computer's processing time while the machine is still running but not in use, and standby mode is designed to conserve power while allowing instant access to what you were working on with the press of a key.