If you're using 10.4.3, you may have already tried out enabling Safe Sleep on your computer using the tips from Andrew Escobar's blog. I found it works great on my Powerbook G4 867, but I didn't want to have to keep using the Terminal to switch it from hibernatemode 3 (computer uses regular sleep, only Safe Sleeps in extreme situations) to hibernatemode 1 (goes straight into Safe Sleep).
So I wrote an AppleScript application that flips the machine to mode 1, sleeps the machine, then turns it back to mode 3 upon awaking, so that I can use Safe Sleep on demand.
The code is as follows:
do shell script "/usr/bin/sudo -k;/usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/pmset -a hibernatemode 1; /usr/bin/sudo -k" password ¬
"_password_" with administrator privileges
ignoring application responses
tell application "Finder" to sleep
do shell script "(/bin/sleep 15 && /usr/bin/sudo -k && ¬
/usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/pmset -a hibernatemode 3 ¬
&& /usr/bin/sudo -k) &> /dev/null &" password ¬
"_password_" with administrator privileges
end ignoring<key>LSUIElement</key>
<string>1</string>
Now you have a handy faceless application, suitable for use with your favorite keystroke launcher.
Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20051114140328545