On our desk this week - 7

all your links are messed up. page 2 is missing so clicking next from the first page creates an error, page 5 doesnt apear as an option on some of the drop down boxes and also has a next option instead of discuss

edit: plus where is the usual overview page that has pictures linking to each product?

page 2 is broken. edit: and apparently other stuff too

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:)

http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2006/05/20/on_our_desk_7/2.html btw

change the address of page 5 to that of page 2 and it should all be linked correctly

The page links are now correct.

£130 for a UPS not expensive?! My wonderful little APC unit does the job and cost aprox. £45, although I have to say that internal UPS is rather cool

@ups it doesn't help if your router goes down though and your top of counter strike :P

Aye, what you want is a powerstrip coming off the ups into which you plug the components you want to keep alive for a few minutes. Perhaps a little light modding would do the trick?

Nah, you want a generator that automatically switches when the power goes out.

Originally Posted by ozstriker
Nah, you want a generator that automatically switches when the power goes out.

Or have your roof made out of solar panels - then you don't even need the grid

Edit: altho perhaps relying on the sun in Britain is a bad idea in itself

I love bit-tech, dont get me wrong...but if you have a high res laptop screen 1920 x XXXX then the Microsoft mouse is simply a horror of an input device...I have one right now and its simply terrible...stick to the logitech alternative.

I'd kinda like a mouse sensitivity that allowed to be scaled with my screen resolution, I'm currently using 1600x1200 and it's nice and big, but it makes mousing a little too awkward. Think I'll keep this for another week or so to decide if it works. Basically, I can sympathize with the guy's comment just before me.

Also, what the -hell- are notebook makers thinking with those stupid little track pads? I've always hated them because they're clumsy and slow and don't feel, in any way, shape, or form, natural.

Personally, cool article. Look forward to some new laser mice, need a new mouse soon, anyway. My old optical is dying.

That UPS does it work with aPFC psu's? as I brought a cheap one (£25) which didn't and got a free upgrade when I found out my one didn't which was nice. Thats just something to watch out for if you buy cheap UPS.

What would be the best all around headphones for gaming>? 5.1 or 2.1

it depends how serious you are of a gamer... if you play at a high level (4/5+hours a day) then probably 5.1 because (for a fps at least) you need to know exactly where other players are around you. If you learn how to listen to wear they are then you will become very good... but on the other hand if you aren't that much of a serious gamer then 2.1 would be fine.

Ultimately comfort is the best option.

And of course you've got the issue of whether you're using Creative's virtual surround sound application for headphones which, by the sound of the bit-tech review on the X-fi cards, works better than some 5.1 headsets ;)

<A88>

Sorry for the confusion of the pages guys.
Updated the UPS page to reflect a new price from a UK reseller. ;)

Originally Posted by WilHarris
Sorry for the confusion of the pages guys.
Updated the UPS page to reflect a new price from a UK reseller. ;)

Ah that's better £85 is definatly more viable than the £165 that was mentioned before, £85 is more of an average price for 300VA and due to the amount of powercuts this year I think I'm most definatly going to be getting one of these soon to protect my server!

One question, do they require a 24 hour chargeup every time the battery runs out or is that just a one off first time charge?

Originally Posted by Will Harris
it's [senheiser] now branching out into things like computer headsets

Really? I've had my Senheiser headset for at least two years...

As far as I can remember the price was very similar, and it looks virtually identical.

Originally Posted by MrWillyWonka
One question, do they require a 24 hour chargeup every time the battery runs out or is that just a one off first time charge?

On the website it quotes:

Recharge Time: 8 Hours to 90%

So I assume it's a one-off.

Is there some rational reason for UPS's to describe their output as being in "Volt-Amps" instead of Watts like normal people?

In Australia, our electricity bills are made out in "Kilowatt-Hours" which has always given me the irrits.

Nezuji :)

Volt-amps is easy to convert to kilowatt hours (if my memory serves correct).

P=IV = Amps x VOlts

P is in watts, so every hour it outputs 1V at 1A is 1 watt hour.

imo there are 3 problems with that UPS: how do you play CS without a monitor? Don't tell me you are that good with only headphones :D And probablywithout network or internet connection? (or do anything else)
AFAIK most new UPSs provide some sort of spike filter for mains, network and/or phone lines. And in a quality one probably it realy works :D
And as some1 already asked if the output voltage of that UPS is not real sine wave, it will have problems with active PFC PSUs.

I have a refurbushed 900VA APC UPS, that can run my not so up to date computer+19" CRT+amplifier+some room lights for 30+ minutes. ;)

VA is not always equal to Watt on mains lines. But i think someone with proper english should tell the details :)

Originally Posted by LukR
imo there are 3 problems with that UPS: how do you play CS without a monitor?

Originally Posted by article
To hook up the UPS, you need to connect your mains power cable to the UPS, then loop that through to the PC. There's also one for your monitor, to keep that on too - a computer without a monitor isn't much use!

;) As for the spike problem, you should always have a surge protector for your computer anyway.

oops :D

Originally Posted by DougEdey
Volt-amps is easy to convert to kilowatt hours (if my memory serves correct).

P=IV = Amps x VOlts

P is in watts, so every hour it outputs 1V at 1A is 1 watt hour.

That was kind of my point. P = VI -- Watts = Volts x Amps -- therefore, saying "Volt-Amps" is the same as saying "Watts". I was only making the reference to "Kilowatt-Hours" as an example of another daft measure. "Joules" or "Megajoules" (given the amount of energy we're talking about) would seem much more natural to me. 1 KWh = 3.6 MJ, after all.

LukR made an interesting reference to something about the influence of mains power. Something to do with AC power? RMS Voltage? I'm really interested to hear from anyone who really understands why UPS's are measured in "VA" instead of "W", and can explain it to me. In fact, wouldn't it be more rational to measure them in Joules, or even "Watt-Hours", if you wanted it to make it easy for consumers to figure how long your UPS will run their X-Watt system? I mean, "This UPS can provide 600 VA!"... Yeah? For how long?

Nezuji :)