Why don’t iMacs have batteries?
Yes, I really asked that question. Why don’t iMacs have batteries?
The reason I ask is because things happen. Someone is building a building and cuts the power to a whole city block. Oops. Or a storm brews up and knocks down a tree and the lights go out. It happens, the power goes out and then my iMac goes dead. So why don’t desktop computers have batteries?
Now, I’m not asking for much. Just a small battery that lasts maybe 10-30 minutes. Giving the user just enough time to save everything and shut down the computer safely. I’d think there would be enough room for a mini battery inside my iMac.
Or maybe, someone like Griffin Technologies could come up with a battery pack accessory. It could plug into your USB or Firewire slot and keep you safe.
Granted, I don’t even know if this is possible for a third party accessory, but I thought I’d ask as I’ve had the power go out a couple of times in the past few days and it’s really annoying. I haven’t lost anything, but even five minutes is enough time for me to save whatever I need and shut down.
Now buying a big UPS backup is overkill in this situation. So don’t even suggest it. I want something small and handy for just a few minutes of power.
What do you think?
[tags]battery,backup,power[/tags]
Well, I hate to say it, but…buy a UPS. You can get one for much less than $100, and many will have a usb connection for the computer. With the right software, the UPS will tell the computer main power is off so that unattended computers can automatically shut themselves off.
I would suspect OSX has drivers for this available, if not built into the OS, since it is also the basis for OSX Server edition. Apple would be making pretty weak server software if they couldn’t communicate with a UPS.
- Bryan July 19th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.4 - Ubuntu Linux
Thanks for the tip.
I still think Apple should put one inside.
- Thomas July 19th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.4 - Mac OS X