Computer Bytes - No. 60 Bookmark this page !       Send this page to a friend!  " We take most of our everyday conveniences for granted. However, when it comes to your computer you need to think twice - especially if your computer contains data you would not want to loose. The top two considerations for protecting your computer and its contents are having a surge protector and an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) battery back-up. The surge protector will help keep your computer and its peripherals safe from power surges and spikes. The battery back-up will not only act as a surge protector but also give you battery time to save open files and safely shut down the computer eliminating the loss of data. Some battery back-ups come with software to be installed that will automatically shut down your computer if you are not home when the power goes out. Surge protector power strips have multiple plugs allowing you to plug in all of your computer components for protection. Surge protectors are rated by the number of joules they can absorb. The higher the joules, the better your protection will be. Two hundred joules would be the low end and since most harmful energy spikes are greater than two hundred joules, this would not be sufficient protection. The better surge protectors start at 1000 joules and go up. If you are looking for the best protection you can get, buy the highest rated surge protector you can afford. Some of the higher end surge protectors even come with insurance. To take advantage of insurance, complete the form(s) as required. A UPS battery back-up is a stand alone piece of equipment that provides instant power to your computer and peripherals. Therefore, should you experience a power outage, fluctuation or spike, your equipment is protected. Just like surge protectors, there are varying degrees of protection available. If you turn your computer off when not in use, you may find that a less expensive back-up will work for you. However, if you depend on your computer for any reason and leave it on most of the time, you should consider a more advanced back up with a longer battery life. UPS back-ups come in three types. Online which continuously protects with a battery or flywheel; line interactive and off-line which will instantaneously kick in when a power failure occurs. The last type is possibly the most efficient for home or a small office where there are only one or two computers. Some UPS units can be configured to protect your telephone and fax machine as well as your computer. When shopping for a UPS consider: Length of battery time. Does it have a secondary battery for extended use? Does it display in minutes the time left on the battery? Does it self test? Does it let you know when the batteries are low? Will it show an over-load? Does it have audible alarms? Again, when buying a UPS buy the best you can afford. Protecting your electronics with either a surge protector or UPS battery back-up is just like having insurance. You may think you don't need it, but you're sure glad you do when something goes wrong. And a final thought, consider getting a UPS for your High Definition television and its components. Since the new HD television sets, Blue-Ray players and home theatres are all electronically driven, they too are at risk to power spikes and outages. Computer Bytes Index Send Us an Email | Home Page Copyright 2007-2008. All rights reserved. Computer Bytes articles may not be reprinted, published, quoted, copied, or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of David Moncrief.