UPS Delivers.... Electricity!

UPS in computer hardware lingo mean uninterruptible power supply. If the electricity to your computer fails, a UPS can provide battery power long enough for you to save documents. UPS can save not only your work, but your computer. If you live in a building that has power problems and your computer constantly loses power, your hard drive can be damaged to the point it won't boot.

UPS's vary in size and length of time they provide power. The one I am using is about the size of a shoebox, but the battery inside it is only about the size of a pound of butter. Physical size doesn't matter as much as length of time. You should never plan on using a UPS for an extended period of time. All electricity is not the same. Only use a UPS to provide temporary power long enough to get your work saved and your computer properly powered down.

APC is one of the most popular providers of UPS power. Here's a look at one of their personal UPS backup solutions: APC Back-UPS ES 8 Outlet 550VA 120V.  Here's a UPS from one of their competitors: CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD 9-Outlet Intelligent LCD UPS (1000VA/600W)

One rule of thumb when using UPS protection: only essential appliances get plugged into UPS outlets. Printers are not essential for shutting down a computer so they do not get plugged into UPS power supplies. Even though a monitor is a big power hog, it needs to be plugged into the UPS because you can't see the screen to shut down the computer.