I sometimes ask myself the same question, Then suddenly the lights dim and the UPS tower alarm beeps briefly and that's as far as voltage change goes-- computer and drives hum along oblivious. I've only had one complete blackout when a nearby pole transformer blew during a storm. Plenty of time to save and shut down. That's the way it should be. It's just a layer of safety for your mission critical hardware, especially if you have no control over the quality of the power.
The only change to my original post is the price, which depends on the load as mentioned above. I bought a BackUps XS 1000-watt tower from APC which guards my 2009 Mac Pro with 5 internal drives, 2 monitors, three external drives (LaCie, G-Tech, and whatever clients bring in), and paid about US$170.00 several years ago. The least expensive UPS (with AVR, which I always prefer), usually runs about a hundred, and that brick would power an iMac and a few drives during a blackout for enough time to save, quit, and shut down.
You should plan to replace the unit after five years of continuous use. Indicators on the tower will also tell you when the battery's going brown.
- Loren
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