Battery Back-Ups Save the Day

The polar opposite to the thrill of creating some great digital content – whether it’s in written, graphical or even spreadsheet or database form – is losing it to a power loss. Power losses come in a variety of forms. They can be blackouts that last anywhere from several seconds to hours or even days on end. Brownouts are power losses that last less than a second – just long enough to cause the computer to lose random access memory (RAM) that stores files in use. They can even be caused by a child, pet or a foot that strays too far beneath the desk, dislodging the PC power cord from the electrical outlet.

Regardless of the source, power loss can result in data lost – and frustration gained. That’s why, after the PC, the power tool of the digital workplace is a battery back-up device. Plugged into the wall, the back-up provides a constant stream of steady power to the PC and monitor in the event of some power loss. It’s not designed to power peripherals – like printers or scanners. Just the PC.

Depending on the unit, power can be supplied for minutes to hours, typically enough to let the computer user safely close open documents, shut down applications and power down the computer.

American Power Conversion’s Back-UPS ES 725 VA provides 425 watts of data-saving power. At less than $100, it’s priced for any size office. And because power surges – from lightning strikes or power- or phone line overflows – are common in the workplace, the 725 provides eight power outlets (four for battery back-up, and four for surge protection) as well as cable and DSL high-speed Internet protection.

The 725’s battery time ranges from an hour with an iMac G4 with a 15-inch LCD monitor to 30 minutes for a PC with a 15-inch monitor or 21 minutes for a unit with 17-inch monitor. What if power loss occurs when the user isn’t around? APCC’s PowerChute Personal Edition auto-shutdown software recognizes the loss, and safely closes all open documents and applications before shutting down the computer. The push-button circuit breaker (instead of a fuse) provides for easy recovery from overload or short circuit. The long-lasting, auto-recharging battery is user-replaceable.

Along with the back-up, users should get into the habit of saving data. Applications should be set to “Save Auto Recover Info” (Alt-Tools + Options + Save) every few minutes (mine’s set to four minutes) to ensure work is soft-saved frequently. This should be followed by hard save (Alt + File / Save) as often as you think about it.

Power losses happen. Minimize the data loss with frequent auto-save and hard-saves – and a battery back-up.

by Jeff Zbar
Author of: Teleworking & Telecommuting: Strategies for Remote Workers & Their Managers
($14.95, Made E-Z Products, September 2002)