if no performance is needed or for extreme powersaving

echo 1 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/sched_mc_power_savings

for full performance (default)

echo 0 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/sched_mc_power_savings

you wont be able to edit those files with an editor so the shell lines above are the only way

http://www.lesswatts.org
http://www.irqbalance.org

I used the pre-installed XP to install a Debian-Installer (developer version) as I didnt want to launch a bootable usbstick

I for one installed lenny with Xfce which was at this very moment “testing”
as I didnt have wireless supported I did everything hardwired

I wont get into installing debian here itself as there are enough howtos to refere to

after installation, you will recognize everything working out of the box
apart of some of the Fn-Keys, your wireless (Atheros AR242x) and your sound (Intel HDA ICHY7 Realtek ALC272)
well you will have sound output but no input and not with all functions you could have (mute, control)

you need to build a vanilla kernel your own to get the latest ath5k drivers and anything else you might not have with a current distro-kernel

I have alsa installed and just build the latest alsa-drivers, -libs and -utils from source

NOT FINISHED YET I have recognized that some of the keys are mapped for “press” but not for “release”

you may install xbacklight

apt-get install xbacklight

but that will not help you much… the first step is to max out backlight intensity while no boot is initiated (bios→grub/lilo/bootloader→boot)
you may set it in bios as default an include a

xbacklight -set 60

to your startup scripts

dissected pictures