Battery Backup...overview

[niwi7]

My moms friend has a battery backup for her computer adn when her power goes out, she can use the computer....

I am just wondering....what IS a battery backup? does it act as just a big surge protector with some battery?

how long does this battery last?> is this only for people who need to have their computer on 24/7 even in storms?

if i were to buy 1 how powerful do u need?

 

[bozo1]

I am just wondering....what IS a battery backup? does it act as just a big surge protector with some battery?

UPS's are basically batteries. They act as surge supressors and many of them also condition the line to help protect you from brown outs, power spikes, etc. I suppose some people use them so they can keep working on their computer during a power outage but for most, it's used to protect your system and to shut it down cleanly in case of a power outage. Most of them can be connected to your computer via USB or Serial cable to perform a shutdown when power is lost. The size you need depends on what you have hooked to it - the larger the UPS, the longer the system will stay up. Most of us just have our PC connected to it and the included software configured to shut the system down - no monitor or printer, etc.

 

[Chrono310]

APC is a pretty common name in the UPS industry. Read up about the different models they have, they all have different features.