<VV> Re: PCs and power

[Thesuperscribe at cs.com]

Guys,

A UPS (delivered by UPS?) is one way to handle a spikey and intermittant 
power situation. Another is to chuck the whole desktop PC and its mess of cables 
and ports that you can't get at without pulling the thing out or tipping it 
forward. Chuck it and get a good laptop. Its built-in battery will run the thing 
for several hours without power. Plug it in through a surge protector (which 
you' should do anyway) and you're safe. And you're good to go, at home and away 
'cause you can easily take it with you. 

Moderately priced laptops (under $1,000) these days come with a DVD/CD player 
and burner, big-capacity harddrive, and about everything else you'd need. I 
converted from a desktop to a laptop about three years ago and would NEVER go 
back.

--Tom Berg

***

In a message dated 9/7/2007 1:43:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
virtualvairs-request at corvair.org writes: 
> Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:51:22 -0400
> From: Bill Elliott <corvair at fnader.com>
> Subject: Re: <VV> computer geek help (no corvair)
> To: airvair at earthlink.net, Virtual Vairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Message-ID: <46E1494A.4000402 at fnader.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
> 
> You didn't mention potential power spikes. Living here in rural MD, I 
> found my power fluctuated enough daily to drop my computer (and certain 
> sensitive digital clocks, but not others!) a couple times a day, 
> particularly in the summer. A $100 UPS (uninterrupted power supply) 
> completely solved this for me... and I still hear the "alarm" that it's 
> kicking in almost once daily. It also "smooths" out the power supply to 
> the PC.
> 
> I have a larger 800 unit (running my PC, monitor, wireless hub, router, 
> and cable modem), but this is all you'd need for a  basic pc and monitor:
> 
> http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7424575&st=apc&type=product&
> id=1122655672527
> 
> Bill
> 
> 
> Mark Corbin wrote:
> 
> >Thanks to all who volunteered help with my intermittant computer problem.
> >Got quite a few responses, and enough advice that I have a good idea where
> >to start. Anything with electrical problems is sometimes like nailing jello
> >to a tree. 
> >
> >Anyway, the first thing that quite a few suggested was to check the power
> >supply. I'm not sure what supply the builder used, so that's a good place
> >to start. I DO know that he used a "supposedly" good brand new motherboard
> >and latest available processor, along with a new case. And since the
> >problem can happen even on a cold startup as well as after hours of
> >running, I don't think it's a heat-related problem.
> >
> >As it stands, the computer has all the capabilities and components I can
> >think of ever using. It has a DVD reader, DVD burner (all formats), 250 zip
> >drive, floppy drive, multiple 2.0 USB ports (all the above internal), and
> >an external printer. It's an otherwise top-notch machine all around. Why
> >spend more money with an off-the-rack machine that probably doesn't have
> >the equipment or performance capabilities that this one has?
> >
> >What I AM stuck with is a sometimes backwoods power supply company, and
> >being extremely rural, it's prone to power spikes and drops. So there's
> >another possible problem area. And since I'm this far back in the sticks,
> >that's why I'm stuck with yesterday's connections (dial-up), unless I can
> >spend a fortune every month for satellite or Time/Worthless cable service.
> >
> >But there were also other suggestions that are good possibilities as well.
> >Again, thanks to all for the help.
> >
> >-Mark