# How many people have a UPS for their computer(s)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-a-ups-for-their-computer-s/437923>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 16, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-a-ups-for-their-computer-s/437923 "2008-02-16T22:27:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-a-ups-for-their-computer-s/437923/21 "2008-02-17T19:27:16Z")

</div>

We got one when we got this computer. We get momentary power losses here, so it’s worth the expense.

A word of advice, if you’re going to get one. Learn exactly where the on-off switch is, well enough to find it in the dark. When the power goes off in the middle of the night, and you can’t see the switch, that beeping won’t let you go back to sleep. :smack:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-a-ups-for-their-computer-s/437923/22 "2008-02-18T01:15:20Z")

</div>

I run 4 of them. Kinda flakey power up here on the mountain.  
All three computers, the router, modem, one phone and the answering machine run off those three and one big one for the LCD HD TV we have. I was told the biggest killer of LCD and Plasma TV’s is wonky voltage. So I have an 1300 UPS which carries the TV, the Satellite box and the cell phone repeater. It is behind a voltage control box that smooths the power coming in to the TV. When I am running the laptops on the in-house-network, I pull the batteries and run off the UPS. Keeps from putting cycles on the batteries so they last a lot longer.

Whe we

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-a-ups-for-their-computer-s/437923/23 "2008-02-18T01:26:27Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=AskNott]  
A word of advice, if you’re going to get one. Learn exactly where the on-off switch is, well enough to find it in the dark.  
[/QUOTE]

Mine’s illuminated. 😛

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-a-ups-for-their-computer-s/437923/24 "2008-02-18T01:36:55Z")

</div>

I’ve got one on my desktop, and one on the TV, VCR/DVD, cable box in the bedroom. Power here really isn’t that flakey, but I don’t want to take chances with my 'puter. I also have my cordless phone on this unit, so in the event of a power failure, my cordless phone will continue to work. Reprogramming the Bedroom TV, and Cable box is a PIA. Easier to put a UPS on it.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-a-ups-for-their-computer-s/437923.md?page=1)