> On Mar 16, 2022, at 3:29 PM, Jim MacKenzie via cctalk <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> [EXTERNAL EMAIL]
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>> On Wed, 16 Mar 2022, Diedrich, Bryce via cctech wrote:
>>> Just got a Commodore Vic-20. What is the safest way to power it off
>>> when I am done using it?
>
> In all seriousness, in the 8-bit days I always had everything on a power bar
> - computer, floppy drive(s) (if applicable), monitor, printer. I'd turn
> everything on and off with the power bar switch. I did the same on my
> Amiga, too.
>
> I'd leave peripherals I didn't always use, like the printer, turned off with
> their own power switch much of the time.
>
> This keeps the AC power off the supplies, saving a little electricity and
> protecting the devices against some surges, and saves wear and tear on the
> power switches. Power bars are cheap and easy enough to replace if needed.
> And it's convenient.
>
> Jim
Mostly concur. I actually have 2 really nice pizza-box “power bars” which are
about the same footprint as a small CRT monitor. They have a single “master”
switch, so can be operated as above, and also individual switches for computer,
monitor, printer, … so that you can sequence all of the peripherals on before
the computer itself if that is desireable. I’m pretty sure my TRS-80
recommended that, and the monitor it had would definitely cause a minor flicker
in the lights at power-on, so it makes sense to me to get that transient over
with before turning on the computer’s power supply.
- Mark
