Broadcasting Computer News / Reviews - Since 1991 - Now Hear it on the Web
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In our last installment, we covered computer mice, modems, and sound cards. This time around, we'll cover backup tape and disk drives, surge suppressors, and uninterruptible power supplies.
All of the devices in question have one common objective -- helping you, the user, to protect your investment in both hardware and software. Any PC user with any significant experience at all will realize that there are many potential hazards out there. These hazards range from problems with the power supply to bad weather to outright thievery. That being the case, it is utterly foolish not to take steps to protect oneself.
By far, the best investment along these lines is also one of the least expensive. I refer specifically to a tape backup drive. This device uses a special type of high-speed tape cartridge to make a "backup copy" of some or all of the programs and/or data stored on the system's hard drive.
In some applications, however, a different type of backup device is required. They are called "removable cartridge hard drives," because the platter(s) containing the actual recorded information are housed in a hard, plastic case, very much like 3-1/2 inch floppy disks. Various sizes of these drives and cartridges are available. Because of their rather specialized nature, however, removable cartridge hard drives are significantly more expensive than tape drives.
The example multimedia system we're putting together will use a tape backup drive, both for reasons of cost and simplicity of installation. As a rule, tape backup drives can be had for well under $200.
Now we turn to the question of problems with the computer's power system. Any electrical engineer, especially one with experience in a utility company, will tell you that the demands made on our country's electric power grid are complex and ever-changing. Although the electric utilities are required by law to maintain certain minimum standards of voltage and frequency, there is simply no way they can prevent momentary fluctuations from occurring. The causes for these fluctuations range from changes in electrical usage to severe weather (especially thunderstorms) to -- believe it or not -- sunspots! The electronics of a computer (as well as radios, stereos, TV's, and microwave ovens), for all their marvelous capabilities, are suprisingly sensitive to such fluctuations. Even a momentary "surge" or "spike" in the power lines can be enough to reduce a PC to a mass of burned-out mush.
That being the case, to fail to have at least some form of electrical protection for one's PC is to invite disaster. The most common -- and least expensive -- form is called a "surge suppressor." This generally consists of a "strip" of 3-pronged outlets with a "master switch", together with special components designed to absorb or "suppress" momentary fluctuations in the AC lines. The better models also provide at least some shielding against other forms of electrical interference, as well as outlets for one's fax and/or modem phone lines. (Most people don't realize that telephone lines carry the same kind of AC current as do regular power lines, although at a much lower voltage level. Thus, phone lines are just as susceptible to electrical interference, "spikes," and "surges" as regular power lines, particularly during severe thunderstorms.)
Surge suppressors, however, have one major weakness -- they cannot provide backup power in the event of an outage. Anyone who has ever had the power go out while they were using their PC can tell you that it is one of the most frustrating pitfalls a PC user can experience. At best, one can lose the immediate data one was working with at the time. At worst, the sudden loss of power can cause actual physical damage to the hard drive. The consequences of such incidents can range from simple frustration to literal bankruptcy.
In response to such problems, the electronic industry has developed a wide range of backup power devices. The generic term for these systems is the "uninterruptible power supply." As the name implies, these devices provide an uninterrupted flow of AC power that is usually sufficient to allow the user to shut down their PC in an orderly fashion in the event of a power loss. The better models (which, naturally, are more expensive) also provide a form of electrical filtering, keeping the power levels within specified limits, and protecting against surges, spikes, and other interference.
Because of the wide variety of uses that a multimedia PC system can be put to, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS for short) is far and away the better investment as compared to a mere surge suppressor. Because of the wide variety of types and sizes of these devices that are available, prices will vary quite widely -- too widely, in fact, for me to quote a figure here. I will state, however, that many of these devices include a special insurance policy that will cover the cost of replacing any hardware damaged while plugged into them, provided that their instructions are complied with. This is precisely the type of UPS I would recommend, especially for a "home office" situation.
In our next installment, we'll cover three of the least often thought about, but most important, computer components -- keyboards, speakers, and tool kits. See you next month!
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