Recommend a UPS

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lixlix
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I'm looking at purchasing a UPS for use with my DP867. A name I know and a brand we use at work are APC. How is their PowerChute software for Mac OS X?



Anyone have any suggestions?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    rokrok Posts: 3,519member
    just went through this myself.



    i have an apc ups back-ups xs-1000, which i got for US$120 shipped after a $20 online coupon. I have seen this exact same model on sale from compusa fro US$100 after mail-in rebate. tought o say how good it is, as we have not had as many power outages now that storm season is over. it has helped decrese weirdness across all of my computer set up, and i have a LOT plugged ino it.



    i am thinking about getting several smaller, cheaper ups's for some of my one-off peripherals (such as my laser printer), where i might need a bit of backup power, but mostly i want the surge protection and voltage regulation.



    i highly recommend anything that has voltage regulation (i.e. it uses its battery to keep the juice flowing at an even, steady stream).
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  • Reply 2 of 5
    etharethar Posts: 111member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by rok

    i am thinking about getting several smaller, cheaper ups's for some of my one-off peripherals (such as my laser printer), where i might need a bit of backup power, but mostly i want the surge protection and voltage regulation.



    UPS's do not like laser printers. I'm not sure what kind you have, but any standard office-quality HP laserjet would make our APC's at work freak out. They can't maintain the necessary power output from the battery.
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  • Reply 3 of 5
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    i'd recommend an APC model no question.
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  • Reply 4 of 5
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    Laser printers have a heating element that draws a lot of current. I never plugged my Laserjet5MP directly into the battery, only used the APC's surge protection for it. I have a CE350 for my Beige G3 and a XS1500 for my G5. (With a 700 watt G5, 3 external firewire drives, and a 19" CRT, the 350 couldn't handle the requirements so I had to upgrade)
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  • Reply 5 of 5
    fahlmanfahlman Posts: 743member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ethar

    UPS's do not like laser printers. I'm not sure what kind you have, but any standard office-quality HP laserjet would make our APC's at work freak out. They can't maintain the necessary power output from the battery.



    PowerChute works great on OS X. I have four OS X computers with APC backups on them. Power goes out at least once a month at our office. PowerChute warns me that the power supply is supplying power and that it'll shut down the computer in X number of minutes. Shut down goes okay. Though it'll shut the computer down even if open files aren't saved, but what else can you expect.



    BTW, The user guide clearly warns you not to connect laser printers to the power backup outlets, but only the surge supression outlets.
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