[Techtalk] OT but I'm desperate.... Windows....!

[Michelle Howson]

> >This is a situation where an uninterruptable power supply could help,
> >such as those made by APC.  They can boost a lagging wall supply from
> >the backup battery, and suppress any spikes.
>
> Can someone in Australia point me in the direction of where I can find
> these and what kind of cost I'm looking at?  On a student budget I have
a
> feeling it'll be just a dream..... :|
>
>It's a good idea- shop carefully, because most UPS devices are actually
>SPS-
>standby power supply, not true uninterruptible power supplies. They kick
>in
>only during a power failure, give a certain number of minutes of backup
>power, then if you have the software installed, do a graceful shutdown. A
>backup power supply does not smooth out spikes & sags. The deliberate
>confusion between UPS/SPS is dirty trick, doggone it.
>
>A true UPS supplies power directly from its battery & does other magic
>things,
>so it provides a steady, regulated voltage all the time, eliminating sags
>and
>spikes. These are sometimes advertised as 'line conditioning'. Of course
>they
>cost more, here is one:
>http://www.falconups.com/sg-600.htm
>
>APC has one for about $179, the Line-R 1250VA, and a lower-capacity model
>for
>about $129.

AU$ or US$?

Either way, that's completely out of my league.  :(

If I ever do look into it, though, I will keep an eye on that UPS/SPS
issue.  Thanks for the tip.

Michelle