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I prefer the option to initiate shutdown when battery level is less than 10%, as opposed to minutes remaining (which can vary widely based on load) or other choices.Good quality replacement batteries can be currently found for ~$55 or less, as opposed to APC's $85 charge. (BTW, when the Mac Pro is in sleep mode, the power draw is so low as to not even register on the APC's wattage meter).I think it's worth getting an RS model primarily due to the AVR (over-voltage) protection; this can be much more damaging than undervolt conditions. This allows for about 20-25 minutes battery runtime, more than enough to cover those short-term outages when running video rendering and compression. When the RS1500's USB cable is connected, a "UPS" tab will appear in the Energy Saver Preference pane (confirmed at least in OSX 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard), offering several more options than what's given by PowerChute. The RS1500 (BR1500LCD) is the perfect companion to my 1st gen Mac Pro (2.66Ghz dual core/dual Xeon, 4 SATA drives, ATI 4870 graphics) and 23" HD Cinema Display. The Pro takes ~190 watts at idle, and the display takes ~50 watts, for a combined 240-watt load, leaving plenty of capacity for other peripherals. The RS models have both boost AND trim protection without using the battery as noted here on APC's site (look under "Back-UPS RS Features & Benefits":[.].I paid $188, price is now up a small bit, but still worth it considering the gear it's protecting.Also, Macintosh users do not need to install the PowerChute software.
Caveat emptor. I've opted to order the 1000 from Amazon.As far as I can tell, the transfer time/sine wave requirements do not figure prominently in APC's literature. Then, upon running the test that put the battery on-line, the Dell shut down, tried to start again, and failed. I purchased the RS1500LCD (the actual pictured item, not the BR1500LCD as the page title says) because I have had years of good experience with APC. installed. Fair enough, I guess.
Amazon offers the Smart-UPS 1000 for about $70 less without the hassle of trade-ins. I wasn't particularly concerned that, as the Amazon page says, I could not return the unit. I finally got the software (2.2 for Windows 7 et al). After 90 minutes, most of which were with supervisor Belton, the best that we could determine was that a)the transfer time of the Backup-UPS was not fast enough and b) the Dell requires a sine wave output from a ups. My first problem was in installing the PowerChute software. This review is the first negative one that I've given.
Forums, it turns out, have discussed the inability to uninstall old PowerChute software, suggesting methods of editing the registry. Belton was most patient and helpful, but the best that he could offer was to accept an old RS900 in trade for a SmartUPS 1000 (which Belton assured me had the necessary transfer time and sine wave output and wattage) for a total (including tax and shipping) of about $435.So, bottom line: I can't return the 1500 (I accepted this risk based on internet searches for information regarding the unit).
Well, it works as advertised, the number of battery backup outlets is more than enough for the essential stuff, the running time is quite good and shown in real time on the LCD (750Watt PSU, 21" LCD, Router, U-verse modem, MyBook 2TB NAS, all hooked up). We shall see how it goes when I have to change the battery. Kind of a boring product to review huh. So far, so good.
I have another APC this size on my corn-burner stove as well. The power always seems to go out when I've forgotten to save a file that I've been working on for hours. I will be getting another soon for the T.V. As a photographer and graphic designer I spend a lot of time on my 24" iMac. My wife will be getting one for her computer at work as well.If you haven't gathered, we love our APC. I'm sure that I have over sized for my system with this back-up but it's pretty cheap insurance.
and satellite system. I live in a rural area of eastern Colorado where snow, thunderstorms and wind can knock our power out from seconds to hours on a pretty regular basis. The power outages are not only hard on the computer and external drives but my nerves as well. I'm sure that they were not designed or recommended for that, but it seems to work fine.
I put in on wood blocks but how much could it cost APC to put legs on it. These things can get hot. This UPS is reasonably priced and the LCD is a nice touch. It seems that it could have used some rubber feet or something similar to allow air to flow under it. My last one failed and got so hot that I couldn't touch it until it was unplugged and it cooled.
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