Frank Cornew on 6/26/01 1:57 PM wrote:

> BTW, the motivations for shutting down: Waste not, want not. Computer
> used maybe once every three days. Computer is in Mexico, where power
> voltage is unstable. Damaging spikes, power outages (data loss)
> frequent. 

An excellent reason for buying a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).

Whether or not you want to save energy this is one of the best things to get
for your computer. While I don't live in Mexico, I do live in an old house
(97 years old) which is in an old neighborhood. I can watch the lights rise
and fall when the 'fridge kicks in or the washer starts up. Spikes are less
frequent than brown outs which can really be hard on a computer.

I have a 7100 server, ethernet hub and DSL router on their own UPS. I also
have my beige G3/MT on it's own UPS. Until I finally shut off the audible
alarm, I would hear it beep at least once a week or more. Prior to the UPS I
would find the 7100 shut down a couple times per month all because the power
would blip out briefly enough to kill it.

At work, my G4 shared an outlet with my desk lamp. I could see the lamp
slowly pulse out of my peripheral vision. So I bought a UPS for this system.
However when I plugged it in I found that the brownouts at that outlet were
so frequent that the UPS couldn't fully charge and would often die. Turns
out, that that outlet was on the same circuit as a commercial freezer here.
I actually had to run an extension cord to the UPS, from an outlet on the
other wall, so that I could get some consistent power. I would hate to think
what would have happened to the G4 over time had I left it on that circuit.

I'm sold on them. Plus they don't have to be super powerhouses. Probably
99.5% of the time they only have to protect you Mac for a few brief seconds
(or fractions of a second).

-makmac

PS. my power flow got pretty bad at home. I finally called the power
company. It turns out that the ground to the house was extremely old and
corroded which caused much of the trouble when appliances would cycle on and
off. My power supply is much smoother now but I still want the UPS
protection since it's not perfect.



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