some *are* clean, some *are* dirty, etc.

I had an APC UPS for a while but gave it away after the power-out beeping drove my poor dog crazy. I’d purchase another one if it promised not to beep. Also, with the USB connection, do any of them actually work with a Mac?

Great site; keep up the great work!
Mac geek in Fairbanks, Alaska where it’s currently 25° below zero!

@Catherine, yes, the USB works, with no software, it just works, and in some cases, you can use that to turn off the beeping.

The main reason for the beeping was probably that your UPS was underpowered for your Mac. If that was not the case, then you have really bad power, and should definitely get one.

Maybe you can email APC and ask them how to take the beep off.

[...] Run when the power goes off with a UPS. [...]

I’ve used an APC UPS devices on several Macs for the past decade. They work well, especially for “dirty” power. Many years ago when I upgraded my Performa 6300 to a G4 desktop, I researched various websites for a good power surge protector. The very best one, but not cheap, was zero surge protector . If one reads their testimonials & the list of companies that use zero surge, it becomes very clear that they are the best investment one can make for protecting sensitive electronics, including plasma TVs.

@Gary, thanks so much for your comment on surge protectors. I want to clarify a few things to our readers…

A Uninterruptible Power Supply and a Surge Protector are two different things. A surge protector will prevent a rapid surge in electricity from blowing your electronics.

This is especially important in areas where lightning can hit your home.

99% of the surge protectors you will buy at Target and other stores of that like, are junk. If they are cheap in cost, they are cheap in quality. Even some of the more expensive ones provide you little to no protection. Electricity is moving very fast, for a circuit to react equally as fast is not a simple task.

I am sure your “Zero” brand is of good quality, since it seems you have researched the matter well. What needs to be clarified is that most electronic devices do not break as a result of a surge, a drop.

Brown outs and uneven power are usually the culprit. The only time I have experienced a surge that was noticeable, in lights getting brighter in my home, was when the power went out, and then came back on a few hours later. This is caused by less demand to the power grid.

A few summers back we had rolling power outs, where the utility would drop power to half or more. I blew a phone, DVD, television, and some other smaller items. It was the half power that killed my devices. I suspect for most users, this will also be the case.

A UPS, unlike a surge protector, while more expensive, cures surges, and drops. Your computer is not running on the power main, but running off a battery. It is impossible, from a electrical standpoint, for the power to jump past the battery and into your electronics. It can be a surge, or a drop, it does not matter.

The “Zero” line seems to be about the same price as a UPS, so I can not say you gain much. In the event of a power outage, it is nice to have 5 minutes to save your documents and shut down your computer. A surge protector will not afford you this luxury.

Thank you for the comment, it is always good to know your options.

Scott – Your explanation is correct. Here’s some additional info re: UPS from the zerosurge.com website: “(A word about Uninterruptible Power Supplies: they are not surge suppressors unless they are certified as such. A UPS is a battery-backed device that keeps electricity flowing in the event of a blackout. They’re useful, often necessary devices, but they can be blasted by power surges as completely as anything else on a circuit.)”

@Gary, you are correct. The UPS may very well get blown up. I guess a surge suppressor in-front of the UPS would be the best of both worlds, though a bit pricey

A note to readers, if you do get a UPS, unless it is certified, I would not use the surge suppression plugs on it for items you care much about. Of course, the “battery” plugs on the UPS will provide you protection all around.

UPS also good for AirPort unit, DSL modem, etc. A laptop (on battery) is OK without, but a good surge protector is reasonable when AC power charger is in use. Thanks for good, elemental instruction.

I’m an engineer. I’ve never had a Mac damaged by a power outage or surge in 15 years of experience. There is adequate surge protection circuitry built into the Mac’s power supply. Only the most expensive surge protectors offer anything better. It could be some cheap PC power supplies are prone to failures, but I simply have not seen it on a Mac.
A power outage will indeed lose data, but in my experience a UPS is a very expensive cure for the rare power outages I experience in my area.
Definitely, go with your own instincts, but I wanted to offer some perspective.

@Poindexter you are one person, in one area. It is nice you have had solid experience. I can tell you, 10% of failures are due to non clean power. My friend has a Mac repair shop, 1 in 10 machines has a power supply issue. And while most of the time, it is not a power outage, it is degraded power that does it.

* Laptops are less prone to this, since they sort of have a built in UPS.

A PSU can only regulate power for so long, before it will not be able to sustain even power. UPS’s cost between 50 and 150 depending on how you go and what your needs are.

I think even 200 is a small price to pay for something that will last years before the battery needs replacing, and protecting your data and machine.