> A UPS does not protect the entire computer, just the data you are 
currently 
 > adding (or using) in the event of a power failure.  By making frequent 
 > backups, and saving my work frequently as I go, I can restore (or even re-
 > do) missing work in a matter of minutes after a power failure, thus saving 
 > myself the cost of the UPS unit.
Hello Ed,
   How do you figure that a UPS does *NOT* protect "the entire computer" ?!
I have a clients' computer sitting on my work bench that had nothing but a 
surge protector on it and due to EXTREME voltage fluctuations that person now 
is being billed over $300 for replacement of the HD, the video card, and the 
SoundBlaster card.  Had they had a UPS in line their computer WOULD have been 
totally protected.  I'm not sure whether you are familiar with the operation 
of a UPS, but in basic terms - the 'load' (your computer) never sees the line 
voltage (at least on the better models, ie Clary/Exide/etc...), so IMHO your 
statment in very much in error as the load IS in a completely controlled 
environment.
 > Not cost effective for me, but it is for you.  Different strokes for 
 > different folks...
Very true, and if you choose NOT to invest in the protection, 
I hope you never need it.  As a technician and small business
owner - I don't feel it's an extravagent purchase.
What are you going to do if you get a surge that takes out the MOV in your 
'strip' and causes a physical head crash on your HD making ALL your carefully 
and often backed up data unrecoverable ?  When the HD was 'hit' on the above 
clients' machine, there was NOTHING left to recover but jumble.  It was even 
impossible to reformat or FDISK the drive.  ALL of his data was lost !
There ARE places/people that CAN recover just about anything, but their 
prices 
are VERY high (starting at over $100 just to look at the drive, and can go as 
high as several hundred to thousands of dollars to do the actual recovery), 
so 
the choice truly IS up to you - invest a few hundred now, or maybe a thousand 
after a 'feline posterior award' (cat-ass-trophic) failure.
Good Luck...
--- AdeptXBBS v1.07f (Registered)
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