74 Managing Your System
■ Check the energy absorption (dissipation) rating. The higher the energy
absorption rating, the better the protection for your system.
■ Check for line-conditioner capabilities. A line conditioner smooths out
some of the normal line noise (small voltage fluctuations) of an electrical
supply.
Line conditioners
A line conditioner protects your system from the small fluctuations in voltage
from an electrical supply. Most systems can handle this variation, called line
noise, without problems. However, some electrical sources include more line
noise than normal. Line noise can also be a problem if your system is located
near, or shares a circuit with, a device that causes electromagnetic interference,
such as a television or a motor.
Some surge suppressors and uninterruptible power supplies include simple
line-conditioning capabilities.
Uninterruptible power supplies
Use a standby uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect your computer
from data loss during a total power failure. A UPS uses a battery to keep your
computer running temporarily during a power failure and lets you save your
work and shut down your computer. You cannot run your computer for an
extended period of time while using only the UPS.
05032.book Page 74 Monday, July 10, 2000 11:43 AM