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Mortimer Schnerd, RN

wrote:
I'd like one on my computer. The power goes out and I come back to
find the computer has just the windows desktop, and nothing I had on
the screen. The only way I know the power went out is to look at my
digital clock to see it flashing 12:00. If that clock had a battery
(like it should), I would not know what happened and blame my
computer.

I have a UPS on my computer. If the power goes off for more than 5 minutes, the
associated software shuts the computer down for me. If the power outage is less
than 5 minutes, I just keep on computing as if nothing happened. The vast
majority of power outages are momentary so the real effect is that I have a very
smooth power supply without surges. The UPS provides the computer with power at
all times so there's no switchover blip. The wall provides the UPS with power
to replace what goes into the computer. If the supply out of the wall fails,
the UPS just keeps on trucking off its battery until the timing software
activates.

I actually have small UPS's around the house. I've got one on my telephone
answering machine. I've got another that feeds my TIVO and a digital clock in
my living room. It doesn't feed the TV. I've found if the power cuts off, it
takes a while to reboot the TIVO (it was the same with the satellite receiver I
had before)... a PITA to be avoided.

I bought the biggest UPS I could afford for the computer. I bought the smallest
I could find for the other stuff.

--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com