Snazzy New Uninterruptible Power Supply from APC

I was pleased to see the datasheet on the new APC Back-UPS RS 1300. It’s the latest backup power offering for small office/home office computing from APC. In addition to the genuinely reliable APC base circuitry they are world famous for, I was happy to see the new features added to their already stable and reliable designs. First thing out of the box, you’ll notice the big square LCD display, which is easier to read than the LED indicator lights typically used by APC in the past. This is a nice feature and is usually found only on enterprise level UPS. You get constant “at a glance” direct readout of your incoming line voltage, your load level, and your battery charge level. The next improvement I see is that this model has a USB-connected control cable, for remote management. Typically in the past, APC has used a serial interface for UPS/Computer linkup. The USB cable allows you to use their “Power Chute” software, which has always been a nice stable piece of software. Power Chute comes standard with the unit, and allows you to set the point where the PC will power down based on battery consumption during a power outage, and also allows you to monitor the UPS from your PC in the event the screen is not in a convenient viewing area. You can also run tests, and schedule bi-weekly tests on both units. Technical stuff: The unit runs on the standard 2-battery scenario you see in all APC units of this size. They are sealed lead-acid batteries, which are most reliable and low maintenance in an application such as this. They offer more stability and reliability than NiMH Batteries. It has AVR technology that corrects low voltage conditions without draining the batteries. I would estimate that it can power an average desktop with LCD monitor for about 90-100 minutes. There is a "data interface" which looks like a network port, but in actuality needs a special cable which is RJ45 on one side and USB on the other. There is also a modem interface and data cable in and out, which is only for surge protection. The units weigh 30 pounds with the 2 batteries, and altogether measures 18 x 12 x 10 inches. It has 8 grounded outlets (6 for battery backup and surge protection, and 2 for surge protection only.) There is a wiring fault indicator and circuit breaker on the rear. It comes in 2 flavors, 1300 VA and 1500 VA, with prices starting at $189.99 (check CDW). This is truly an enterprise grade unit at a small office price. When I spec out a UPS for a customer, I always just price out an APC without giving it a second thought, and my customers have never questioned this decision. This is based on their well-known standing in the industry for quality, ease of use, reliability, and value. Check your power backup situation right now - if it’s more than 3 years old, or you don’t have one at all, it pays to buy this one. It’s a no-brainer decision!