This is my second UPS from APC (I have a review posted on the ES 550VA also) and I continue to be happy with their products. I am enduring a home remodel and bought my first APC UPS (an ES 550VA) to protect against tripped breakers and electrical interference from all of the power tools running on the same breakers as my electronics. These two units have been absolutely essential in keeping my equipment safe. My ES 550VA runs my desktop PC and monitor. It has reported numerous, almost daily, power fluctuations that it has compensated for and has provided me several opportunities to go and reset a breaker while the PC ran happily off of the UPS battery. Both of the UPS were plug and play with Vista for monitoring via the PC but also come with software that adds additional functionality. For my Windows 7 laptop I downloaded the latest PowerChute Personal edition software from APC (just so I could plug into a UPS and check it's status without it being connected to a desktop computer) and It also works great.
I use this 450VA model to keep my wireless phone, router, and video surveillance system running during short outages. The ES 450VA will run these devices for about 30 to 35 minutes on battery according to the PowerChute software and, when I unplugged the power to check it out, watching the battery drain via the same software seemed to support this. Both models have 8 plugs, 4 for battery backup and 4 for surge protection. There is also surge protection for a phone/fax/dsl line which I have my DSL line plugged into without issues. Finally, there is an on/off button and an LED that lets you know if the battery needs replacement. On a side note, you need to open the unit up and remove protective contacts on the battery prior to the first use.
I picked up one of these on "black Friday" for about the price of a surge protector and couldn't be happier. APC BE450G Back-UPS ES 8-Outlet 450VA 120V Uninterrupted Power Supply
To me, the entire purpose for buying a high-end surge protector/UPS is *protection* against loss of expensive equipment, and in the case of a computer attached to a UPS, protection against loss of work.
The APC UPS units do what they are advertised as doing, as far as functionality is concerned; I cannot complain about that. However, the thing that really broke my heart on these units was the draconian "Equipment Protection Policy" which many users will overlook until it is too late. I did not read the fine print until months after I set up my UPS, after a blackout killed an Xbox360 I had attached to the unit.
To summarize my complaints on this policy:
1) You must register within 10 days of *purchase*, using a warranty card that comes inside the product box. Considering normal shipping time for internet orders, this requires you to *really* be on your toes. You're probably better off buying one of these in a brick and mortar store so you have more time to submit the required info.
2) You must provide a detailed listing of all equipment that you will connect to the unit; any equipment not listed (i.e. anything that you decide to connect in the future) will probably not be covered.
3) This policy only covers damage from AC line transients (surges). Nothing else is covered; presumably even damage caused by manufacturing defects in the unit are not covered.
4) You need to pay to ship the unit back to them.
5) You may need to pay to ship the damaged equipment to them or bring it to "an authorized service center".
In addition, some other users who have suffered from surges and attempted to submit claims, even after following the above restrictions, have been rejected. I cannot comment on their situations, but I will let them speak for themselves:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3SKL73LLAYV4U/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R3SKL73LLAYV4U
Even some plain old surge protectors I've bought in the past have less restrictive policies...
Here are some excerpts from the actual policy, which is also available online:
[...]
Eligibility for coverage under the Equipment Protection Policy:
1) You must register the product by returning to APC the warranty card provided with the product within 10 days of purchase. All information must be filled in, and you should retain a copy for your records. The warranty card must clearly identify the types of electronic equipment that will be plugged into the APC product for which protection under this policy is claimed. All connected equipment must be UL or CSA approved.
2) The APC product must be plugged into properly wired and grounded outlets; no extension cords, adapters, other ground wires, or electrical connections may be used, with the sole exception of other standard APC 120 volt products. The installation must not include power protection products made by any manufacturer other than APC. The installation must comply with all applicable electrical and safety codes set forth pursuant to the National Electrical Code (NEC).
3) Any claim under the Equipment Protection Policy must be made within 10 days of the date of alleged damage to the connected equipment.
4) The Equipment Protection Policy covers only standard APC 120V products used in the 50 U.S. states, Canada, Bermuda* and/or Puerto Rico*. - Surge Protector - Uninterrupted Power Supply Ups - Uninterrupted Power Supplies - Ups'
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