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To: Sam Citron who wrote (44490)	12/24/2004 12:59:30 PM
From: Raptech	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110652

Depends! Do you get alot of power surges, or lightning? Then you would want the protection. I live in Arizona where we get an abundance of both. I have a battery back up UPS that sometimes is a pain because it will disconnect momentarily, but I prefer not taking the risk of losing data if a power failure does occur. For 12 bucks I would keep it. Rap

To: Sam Citron who wrote (44490)	12/24/2004 1:03:02 PM
From: Raymond Duray	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110652

Hi Sam, Re: UPS -- Most of the weight of the UPS is a battery rather than a transformer. The battery is what allows power to flow to the computer for a few minutes in the event of a electrical grid failure. The only thing that you'll lose if the power goes out and you don't have a UPS on the line is whatever open files your are currently working on which you have not saved to disk. So if you are in the habit of frequently saving the work you have open, you won't be at much risk in the event of a power outage. Surge protection, which is generally included in the UPS circuitry is a very useful safeguard. Especially in areas that are prone to lightning strikes. I have a friend who was a National Park Service Ranger in Yosemite National Park who had the misfortune of losing several computer systems during lightning storms.

To: Sam Citron who wrote (44490)	12/25/2004 4:58:11 PM
From: B.K.Myers	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110652

Sam, I see that several posters have discussed the damage that can be caused by power outages, power surges and lighting but no one has mentioned the damage that can be cause by power brownouts. I noticed that the lights in my house would go dim from time to time but they didn't seem to effect my computer. After I did some research I realized that these brownouts could cause damage to my computer. Brownout Definition: A reduction in the mains voltage without a complete loss of power. A brownout is a steady lower voltage state. An example of a brownout happens during peak electrical demands in the summer, when utilities can't always meet the requirements and must lower the voltage to limit maximum power. When this happens, computer systems can experience data corruption, data loss and premature hardware failure. asi.com.au After I installed a UPS, I noticed that the UPS would occasionally kick when these voltage drops would occur. It gave me a good feeling knowing that my computer was protected from damage by my UPS. Over time these brownouts would have shortened the life of my computer. Personally I would never be without a UPS but it really depend on your situation and requirements. If all you use your computer for is email and games or you live in a building that has a backup generator and a power management system, then a UPS is probably not necessary. But for many people that rely on their computer for making a living, a UPS is practically a necessity. B.K.