[MacDV] Re: Macs dying and needing service--MacDV Digest, Vol 15, Issue 2

[Michael Winter]

On Oct 4, 2005, at 10:14 AM, Brian Olesky wrote:

>
> Is a UPS the same as a surge protector?

No. The biggest difference is that an Uninterruptible Power Supply  
(UPS) stores electricity, allowing it to continue to maintain the  
proper voltage during times when the voltage may drop below normal - 
the most drastic case being when the power goes out completely,  
leaving you in the dark. In those cases, a good UPS will deliver  
power long enough to allow a graceful shut-down of the system  
(sometimes done automatically with the right software), thereby  
saving data.

Other times when power may drop  may be during peak energy usage  
(brown-out), but a very common one in households is when something  
with a big electric motor kicks in, draining all the juice for a  
fraction of a second. Things with big electric motors are  
refrigerators, furnace fans, air conditioners... Another culprit for  
causing the lights to dim/flicker are big microwave ovens. In most  
cases computers on the same circuit will be fine, but depending on  
the specifics, this kind of thing can be hard on them and other  
sensitive electronics.

-Mike