My DigitalZone

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS), or a battery backup, unit provides emergency power supply and typically protection from power surges. It comes in handy if you live in an area where power supply is not stable or thunderstorms are common. I moved to a part of the U.S. where there is a thunderstorm season that lasts for a couple of months and was amazed with its frequency. The particular area where I moved also had lots of housing construction going on, and I experienced frequent power flickers. Losing unsaved data because of a second of power loss is not fun at all. So, I went ahead and bought 2 APC UPC units. My 2 desktop PC are connected to them and I no longer have to worry about data loss due to power loss/fluctuations. Most of my other stuff, i.e., my laptop, are connected to regular (not-so-cheap) surge protectors.

I chose APC because it is the most reputable manufacturer of UPC and reviews for their products are consistently good. The unit I bought is this one.

It has 10 outlets with 5 being backed up by a battery. The other 5 outlets have surge protection only. I’ve had numerous power outages since I bought this and it never failed to operate. It also has an alarm that tells you when the power is out. I guess the alarm is useful because I don’t always notice a power failure during the day. If the duration of power failure is long, it can be turned off.

All in all, I am quite satisfied with this product.