Path: utzoo!attcan!ncrcan!becker!geac!jtsv16!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!stat!fsu!prism!russ
From: russ@prism.gatech.EDU (Russell Shackelford)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Gateway 2000 ??
Summary: SURGE PROTECTION !!!!!
Message-ID: <3563@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: 17 Nov 89 15:14:32 GMT
References: <0ZLWYd_00WBLQ0w3JO@andrew.cmu.edu> <2779@pur-phy> <2936@psivax.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 31

In article <2936@psivax.UUCP>, torkil@psivax.UUCP (Torkil Hammer) writes:
> So far my experience with Gateway 2000 has been:
> 
> * They are busy to the max.  There's gonna be a lot of 386SX's under
[stuff deleted about Gateway and their operation]

> * No built in surge protection.  I bought a basic surge protector for
>   $15 at a hardware store.  This is highly recommended.  If you are
>   going to use modem you should get one that protects the phone line, too.

I emphatically disagree that a $15 surge protector is "highly recommended",
and I DO agree that ADEQUATE surge protection IS recommended.  Based on
my experience, a cheap surge protector is worse than nothing: it lulls you
into thinking you are protected when you are NOT.  The basic problem, as
near as I can tell, is REACTION TIME.  A cheap surge protector WILL cut off
the power to the machine, but will react so slowly that it will flip its
breaker AFTER the damage has been done!!!!  The key to surge protection, as
far as I know, is to find one that reacts FAST ENOUGH.  Personally, I've had
pretty good luck with Datashield 85's.  I get'em discounted for about $50
apiece....

The ONLY thing a $15 surge protector is good for is: the convenience of a
single on/off switch.... which really isn't much use as you should leave
the cpu box on all the time anyway....


-- 
Russell Shackelford
School of Information and Computer Science
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332
russ@prism.gatech.edu         (404) 834-4759