TrulyObscure - article - gadgeteer - trulyrandom - Computers Have Taken Over: UPS and Calamari Shock and Awe!

This week, Truly Obscure will be featuring computer stuff- much of it the latest and greatest, most of it aimed at “enthusiasts” or “gamers” and other people who care way too much about their hardware specs. We realize this is a departure from our normal fare, and hope you enjoy this feature, as we take a look at everything from RAM to TV tuner and dual graphics devices to cases, cooling systems, and uninterruptible power supplies.

We’ll start out with perhaps one of the lesser noticed parts of your computer setup: the humble surge protector and it’s less humble counterpart with batteries, the uninterrupted power supply (or UPS, which we’ll be calling it from now on; jokers asking us why we don’t look at FedEx will have their computers struck by lightning).

Surge protectors aren’t sexy. They are overloaded and overlooked. Powersquid aims to change that, and their recently released Calamari Edition will hopefully draw your attention. The previous incarnations have been power strips (which are cheaper, and do a very poor job of preventing lightning strikes or dirty power from messing with your delicate PC), but the Calamari is backed by a $500,000 warranty for those of you who run some sort of supercomputer from your house. Co-axial and telephone connectors augment the 6 outlets (two of which glow). There’s even an audible alarm for when something goes wrong, and the best feature is the loose-strand adapters allowing you to plug in even the largest power bricks without losing an outlet (or two). For $80, it’s not cheap, but the Powersquid Calamari will make you look at surge protectors in a whole new way and it’s well-crafted enough to outlast the cheaper variety.

On the other, more expensive, more feature-rich hand, you have the UPS. These heavy boxes aim to do more than protect your electronic equipment from storms and the like- they power your computer for a short while, allowing you to do important tasks like saving documents or finishing your game of Minesweeper. We tested two models from the major names in the business: APC and Tripp-lite. These both come with software allowing you to monitor their battery levels and such, and excessive amounts of insurance protection.

The APC LS 500 is definitely aimed more towards the gamer crowd with its clear case and beguiling looks. It’s a 500VA/315W, and will run your system for 4-14 minutes depending on how power hungry your machine is. This may not sound like a lot, but it’s plenty of time to do what you need to do and safely shut the machine down. There are 7 outlets total, 4 of which have the battery backup behind them, and phone jacks as well. Unfortunately, there is no LCD screen, but the software is pretty good and easy to install. The APC LS 500 will run you around $150, and in our tests, was reliable and stable and easy to install and use.

The Tripp Lite Smart1000 LCD is a little pricier (at $200 or so) but has a few more features, not the least of which is that it offers around double the backup time of the APC model (it’s 1000VA/500W). It’s aimed at those looking for home entertainment system protection as well and is taller and thinner than the APC model, allowing it to fit into racks. It also has co-axial jacks (which the APC model is lacking), but offers half the number of phone jacks (2 instead of 4). The software is a little less friendly than APC’s, but the LCD screen is big and bright. The Smart 1000 LCD also offers one extra non-battery-backup outlet, and we liked that it could be positioned either vertically or horizontally.

So which is better? Well, if you have a large, power-hungry system the extra $50 is well spent on the Tripp Lite. But if you want to travel a little lighter and sexier to the LAN party, or don’t have a high-powered system, then the APC is a excellent option. Of course, you could always eschew those hefty batteries and stick with the Calamari, light, sleek, and cheap(er).