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PhillyAnt

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2013
169
60
Philly
Hey folks! New guy here. Been browsing the forums for a while but finally decided to register and participate. I ordered a fully loaded 27 inch iMac with minimum ram so I can put my own in. I am probably going to order 32 gig of ram from macsales.com and just max it out. Why? Because I like wasting money I guess. I have $25 in Best Buy Rewardzone cash so I will probably go there and pick up the dvd drive just to have it. Any other accessories you folks like to add on with your new computer? I have never owned a UPS. I think I want to get one this time. What are you using? What do you recommend? What are the reasons you recommend that certain UPS? What are the reasons I should own a UPS? I want to buy the best that I can. I am probably going to order something off of Amazon tonight.

Please let me know any other accessories you like having too.

Thanks for your time!

Ant
 

large farva

macrumors regular
Jan 14, 2013
162
0
Melbourne, FL
I would definitely purchase a Back-UPS unit. I already purchased mine from Amazon, and my iMac is still a ways away, with a quoted Feb. 7th - 14th arrival date. I got the CyberPower CP1350PFCLCD Pure Sine Wave Back-UPS. It's a 1350VA, 810W model. I have already owned a CP1000PFCLCD, the 1000VA, 600W model, and used it with my Mid-2011 27" iMac and it worked wonderfully. Gave me a 34-minute run time during an outage when I was actively using the computer. So having enough time to shut off with that one wasn't an issue. This time I opted for the 1350VA, 810W model because my new iMac is more maxed out than my Mid-2011 model. Though you should still be fine with a 600W model. Either way, I would DEFINITELY get a Back-UPS unit, especially if you live in an area where there's storms and a chance of outages (which is pretty much everywhere), because a hard shut down isn't so great on your computer. Also, whatever back-UPS unit you get, be sure it's a Pure Sine Wave model, that will work with a PFC Power Supply, which is what your iMac has. If you walk into your local Staples and purchase one of the APC units from there, it won't work, because the PFC power supplies will not run on "stepped approximation to a sine wave" power, when the unit's switched to battery power during a black-out. Your computer will just have a hard shut down as if you don't have any back-UPS unit at all. The price for these CyberPower units isn't bad at all. I only paid $161.00 for mine with free 2-day shipping (because I have Amazon Prime). If you are thinking about the 600W model, they only run about $130, but it's not through Amazon it's through a vendor so if you need to return or exchange it, you'll have more hassle. It's better just to cough up the extra $30 and go for the 810W unit.

As for other accessories. Obviously if you are needing to use CDs and DVDs, pick yourself up a SuperDrive of sorts, whichever brand, Apple or what-have-you. I picked up a decent wireless mouse, a Logitech Anywhere MX mouse to use to play Minecraft, because using the Magic Mouse to play games is a PAIN.
 

WilliamDu

macrumors 6502
May 22, 2012
267
98
Useful accessories for your new iMac

I agree on the need for a UPS. I have used APC units for about 15 years here in Maine where the nor'easters and ice storms are frequent and winters give my APCs a good workout. They have an excellent and reasonable battery trade in replacement program for the day when the lead acid batteries they use inevitably die. They send you a new one with a return UPS label to use with the box the new one came in. It takes about five minutes to swap out the old one and install the new one.

Mine power my Macs, discs and a few other items long enough to decide whether Central Maine Power is going to recover or I need to start our generator.

I consider an optical disc drive essential and got an Apple Superdrive from Amazon. It sits on and matches the iMac stand, next to my CISCO WiFi router and 8 year old 7 port Belkin powered USB 2.0 hub. I suggest a 3.0 model, not invented yet when I got mine. Turbotax, Parallels, X-Plane, and lots of music still come on discs despite Apple's head in the sand attempt to convert the world to download everything from their iTunes store.

If you are any sort of an audio type, an external sound system of some sort is really a basic need. The built in speakers are clear in the midrange, but no bass of any sort exists.

I find a CanoScan 8800F scanner very useful to digitize a ton of 35mm slides we have accumulated over the years. It blows up 35mm with great resolution.
Many savings institutions, including my credit union, have an eDeposit service so you can deposit checks in your account directly from the scanner, saving lots of time and gas or stamps. Your deposit is in your account - RIGHT NOW!

If you are or were a pilot or otherwise so interested, a good joystick will provide you hours of enjoyment with X-Plane software, a super flight simulator real enough that it's used by commercial airlines for training in normal and instrument flight procedures. I flew for 22 years from my youth in 1946 until the Navy decided I was too old to drive a real one and the computer is a great replacement. There are others, including radio control fixed wing and helo simulators. Except for X-Plane, most of those run only on Windows. You can install Windows using Parallels so it WILL work on 3TB, but you will need that optical disc drive that Apple thinks is obsolete. (Note: they still provide them but they will now try to nick you for $80 for the ones you got free until this year-another profit center-thence Amazon saves you $10.)

For entertainment, an Apple TV hooked to a good HDTV to drive over WiFi with your Mac using stuff from the iTunes store could be of interest. It also provides other streaming sources with a WiFi router hooked to your internet provider's modem.

A printer is of course very handy. MacMall sometimes will provide an option to get a full refund of a printer's cost when you buy a computer from them. I've purchased about five or six Macs and a dozen other Apple goodies from them over the last twenty years and found them very reliable, friendly and will give you six month no payment, no interest plans to pay for major purchases. A wireless AirPlay all-in-one including fax and copying is pretty cheap-good ones close to $150 or less.

My most prized accessory is a $50 Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 keyboard to replace the really awful, dinky little wireless keyboard supplied by Apple. The Magic Mouse is great, but my hands are just too big to comfortably touch type at all on these tiny little toys.
I suspect Microsoft makes a ton of money selling their excellent keyboards to grumpy Mac owners. Go to your nearby, friendly Staples outlet and try it out. They're so well designed they almost do the typing for you - your hands just naturally fall on the right keys. I find no problem with the nice long USB wire on the thing for a desktop computer. They make a more expensive wireless version but I have seen some comments on Amazon that they may be less than perfect.

Sooner rather than later, you will need a good powered USB hub for the stuff as it accumulates. You will find discs and other fussy accessories want to be plugged into the Mac, which of course only has four USB slots. You can also plug your Mac directly into a big HDTV from one of those slots, but you have to budget the miserly supply early on. You can save USB slots if you can find a Thunderbolt external drive for Time Machine or other storage - music, photos, videos and other space hogs. I haven't found a 3TB one yet that I can afford. The cost will come down eventually. Apple must be optimistic-they put two Thunderbolt slots on the thing.

Good luck and enjoy your new baby, but don't desert your family.
 

bobright

macrumors 601
Jun 29, 2010
4,813
33
I agree on the need for a UPS. I have used APC units for about 15 years here in Maine where the nor'easters and ice storms are frequent and winters give my APCs a good workout. They have an excellent and reasonable battery trade in replacement program for the day when the lead acid batteries they use inevitably die. They send you a new one with a return UPS label to use with the box the new one came in. It takes about five minutes to swap out the old one and install the new one.

Mine power my Macs, discs and a few other items long enough to decide whether Central Maine Power is going to recover or I need to start our generator.

I consider an optical disc drive essential and got an Apple Superdrive from Amazon. It sits on and matches the iMac stand, next to my CISCO WiFi router and 8 year old 7 port Belkin powered USB 2.0 hub. I suggest a 3.0 model, not invented yet when I got mine. Turbotax, Parallels, X-Plane, and lots of music still come on discs despite Apple's head in the sand attempt to convert the world to download everything from their iTunes store.

If you are any sort of an audio type, an external sound system of some sort is really a basic need. The built in speakers are clear in the midrange, but no bass of any sort exists.

I find a CanoScan 8800F scanner very useful to digitize a ton of 35mm slides we have accumulated over the years. It blows up 35mm with great resolution.
Many savings institutions, including my credit union, have an eDeposit service so you can deposit checks in your account directly from the scanner, saving lots of time and gas or stamps. Your deposit is in your account - RIGHT NOW!

If you are or were a pilot or otherwise so interested, a good joystick will provide you hours of enjoyment with X-Plane software, a super flight simulator real enough that it's used by commercial airlines for training in normal and instrument flight procedures. I flew for 22 years from my youth in 1946 until the Navy decided I was too old to drive a real one and the computer is a great replacement. There are others, including radio control fixed wing and helo simulators. Except for X-Plane, most of those run only on Windows. You can install Windows using Parallels so it WILL work on 3TB, but you will need that optical disc drive that Apple thinks is obsolete. (Note: they still provide them but they will now try to nick you for $80 for the ones you got free until this year-another profit center-thence Amazon saves you $10.)

For entertainment, an Apple TV hooked to a good HDTV to drive over WiFi with your Mac using stuff from the iTunes store could be of interest. It also provides other streaming sources with a WiFi router hooked to your internet provider's modem.

A printer is of course very handy. MacMall sometimes will provide an option to get a full refund of a printer's cost when you buy a computer from them. I've purchased about five or six Macs and a dozen other Apple goodies from them over the last twenty years and found them very reliable, friendly and will give you six month no payment, no interest plans to pay for major purchases. A wireless AirPlay all-in-one including fax and copying is pretty cheap-good ones close to $150 or less.

My most prized accessory is a $50 Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 keyboard to replace the really awful, dinky little wireless keyboard supplied by Apple. The Magic Mouse is great, but my hands are just too big to comfortably touch type at all on these tiny little toys.
I suspect Microsoft makes a ton of money selling their excellent keyboards to grumpy Mac owners. Go to your nearby, friendly Staples outlet and try it out. They're so well designed they almost do the typing for you - your hands just naturally fall on the right keys. I find no problem with the nice long USB wire on the thing for a desktop computer. They make a more expensive wireless version but I have seen some comments on Amazon that they may be less than perfect.

Sooner rather than later, you will need a good powered USB hub for the stuff as it accumulates. You will find discs and other fussy accessories want to be plugged into the Mac, which of course only has four USB slots. You can also plug your Mac directly into a big HDTV from one of those slots, but you have to budget the miserly supply early on. You can save USB slots if you can find a Thunderbolt external drive for Time Machine or other storage - music, photos, videos and other space hogs. I haven't found a 3TB one yet that I can afford. The cost will come down eventually. Apple must be optimistic-they put two Thunderbolt slots on the thing.

Good luck and enjoy your new baby, but don't desert your family.

That was heaps of good information. Thanks William!!
 

Solomani

macrumors 601
Sep 25, 2012
4,785
10,477
Slapfish, North Carolina
Hmm, first thing I got before my 21.5" iMac 2012 arrived was to pick up the Apple SuperDrive from MacMall.

The APC UPS is also a good investment. Remember that you have to know in advance what the iMac's power usage is, and then buy a UPS model with a capacity that will accommodate that much power/wattage. Don't forget that other devices like printers and scanners plugged into the UPS will also have to share the UPS' total capacity.

For example, I got the APC UPS ES 550, rated capacity is 330 Watts. The only thing I plug into it's backup sockets are the iMac and a small printer and the Harman Kardon jellyfish speakers.

My 21.5" iMac (late 2012) is very very energy-efficient (according to Apple's Energy Report PDF), consuming an average of 43 watts active use.

http://images.apple.com/environment/reports/docs/imac_21.5inch_oct2012.pdf

The 27" iMac ( late 2012) is also energy efficient, but of course the power consumption is much greater than the 21.5" model. About 80 watts active use.

http://images.apple.com/environment/reports/docs/imac_27inch_oct2012.pdf


Also.... if you use your iMac for gaming or occasionally iTunes music listening, then get a decent set of speakers!
 

PhillyAnt

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2013
169
60
Philly
Thanks to those that have commented so far. I am actually a music junkie and a flight sim guy. I have the Apogee duet and 2 self powered KRK speakers on my current set up which I will be moving to the new iMac so my sound is covered.

I never played X Plane. I was a huge Microsoft Flight Simulator guy and I haven't played it since my PC days. Is X Plane just as good? Is it better? I am super excited about that.

I am definitely planning on a UPS, although I rarely lose power here.

Here is a picture of my current setup:


653_1066455471883_8128_n_zps1a898ab6.jpg
 

Solomani

macrumors 601
Sep 25, 2012
4,785
10,477
Slapfish, North Carolina
Planning to buy X-Plane 10 at some point (for my new iMac).

Can't say if it's better than MS Flight Simulator, but X-Plane has a loyal legion of fans. X-Plane is also Mac and Windows compatible, has been so for over a decade.

And best of all, you know X-Plane is not some garbage Windows-to-Mac port, since the X-Plane developers themselves state flatly that they develop and test the game primarily on Macs!

http://www.x-plane.com/desktop/mac/

From the X-plane website....


X-Plane is the most powerful and accurate flight simulator available for personal computers, but it doesn’t just run on Windows; the version of X-Plane sold here at X-Plane.com runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. In fact, X-Plane is developed primarily on Macs.

In the past, we’ve called the Mac our secret weapon. Here’s what owner and developer Austin Meyer has to say about it:

People ask me all the time: "Austin, how can you compete with bigger companies? You cannot possibly stay in the flight sim business! You will be out of business by the end of the year!” (Never mind that they have been saying that since X-Plane was introduced in 1994!) Part of the answer to that question is that I have a secret weapon that helps me develop X-Plane at a much faster rate than any would-be competitors. While other teams are struggling to keep their organization and computers working, I and my team are able to work quickly and freely with no computer glitches holding us back, unlike almost everyone else using computers today."

The bottom line: X-Plane 10 Global is 100% compatible with Macs. You’ll need an Intel Mac (any Mac made since August 2006) and OS X version 10.5 or later. To find out if you have an Intel processor, and to check which version of Mac OS you’re using, follow the instructions from Apple.
 

WilliamDu

macrumors 6502
May 22, 2012
267
98
Accessory Software X-Plane

I flew everything from Piper Cubs to single engine jets to multi-engine maritime patrol for a lot of years. I've been using X-Plane for over ten, and used to own and use Microsoft Flight Simulator.
X-Plane blows Microsoft away in spades. You can get realistic, detailed geographical data for the entire world including the instrument approach plates for thousands of airfields. I think they still include a Mars geo data base and a Mars designed aircraft although I haven't looked at V10. I plan on buying it as soon as I finish getting all my junk hooked to my new 27".
I still have my world wide and Mars data for V9, but haven't used it for a while.
X-Plane is as real as you can get with details of dozens of various types of aircraft and buyable data sets for lots more, including cockpit details and flight characteristics of real aircraft of many nations and aircraft carrier operation simulations. There is no comparison with MS Flight Simulator. I trashed it as soon as I got hold of X-plane. The price is a steal. Chances of getting hooked are 90% if you have any interest in flying. Say goodbye to your family. You WILL want a joystick. X-Plane has recommendations for good ones.
 

bobright

macrumors 601
Jun 29, 2010
4,813
33
Planning to buy X-Plane 10 at some point (for my new iMac).

Can't say if it's better than MS Flight Simulator, but X-Plane has a loyal legion of fans. X-Plane is also Mac and Windows compatible, has been so for over a decade.

And best of all, you know X-Plane is not some garbage Windows-to-Mac port, since the X-Plane developers themselves state flatly that they develop and test the game primarily on Macs!

http://www.x-plane.com/desktop/mac/

From the X-plane website....


X-Plane is the most powerful and accurate flight simulator available for personal computers, but it doesn’t just run on Windows; the version of X-Plane sold here at X-Plane.com runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. In fact, X-Plane is developed primarily on Macs.

In the past, we’ve called the Mac our secret weapon. Here’s what owner and developer Austin Meyer has to say about it:

People ask me all the time: "Austin, how can you compete with bigger companies? You cannot possibly stay in the flight sim business! You will be out of business by the end of the year!” (Never mind that they have been saying that since X-Plane was introduced in 1994!) Part of the answer to that question is that I have a secret weapon that helps me develop X-Plane at a much faster rate than any would-be competitors. While other teams are struggling to keep their organization and computers working, I and my team are able to work quickly and freely with no computer glitches holding us back, unlike almost everyone else using computers today."

The bottom line: X-Plane 10 Global is 100% compatible with Macs. You’ll need an Intel Mac (any Mac made since August 2006) and OS X version 10.5 or later. To find out if you have an Intel processor, and to check which version of Mac OS you’re using, follow the instructions from Apple.
How hard is it to mess with without any first hand knowledge of flying? It sounds really awesome to check out if even just for fun
 

crows

macrumors member
Nov 26, 2012
90
0
X-Plane 10 is not hard at all to get in the air as a total noob when you load up the simulator for the first time you'll be in the default Cessna 172 and you can just hit F2 to throttle up, hit B to release the brakes, and click the box on the center of the screen and move your mouse back at about 65-70kts and your up in the air. If you have a joystick connected the white box in the middle of the screen will not show up you need to fly with the joystick if you have one plugged in, anyway download the demo and try it out its a good sim, as real as a home simulator can get without making it terribly specific to 1 aircraft. If you ever go fly for real you will notice first hand the simulator is not 100% accurate on anything.. I can say that I learned some stuff by reading on the internet and flying on the simulator and when I finally went to my local airport for a demo flight it was very different but long story short I passed my private pilot check ride a month ago and the simulator helped a bit :)
 

macs4nw

macrumors 601
Hey folks! New guy here. Been browsing the forums for a while but finally decided to register and participate. I ordered a fully loaded 27 inch iMac with minimum ram so I can put my own in. I am probably going to order 32 gig of ram from macsales.com and just max it out. Why? Because I like wasting money I guess. I have $25 in Best Buy Rewardzone cash so I will probably go there and pick up the dvd drive just to have it. Any other accessories you folks like to add on with your new computer? I have never owned a UPS. I think I want to get one this time. What are you using? What do you recommend? What are the reasons you recommend that certain UPS? What are the reasons I should own a UPS? I want to buy the best that I can. I am probably going to order something off of Amazon tonight. Please let me know any other accessories you like having too. Thanks for your time! Ant

If you value your data, a UPS should definitely be #1 on your list. If it's in your budget, I recommend an APC 'smart-ups' unit, because they have true sine-wave conversion, but any power back-up unit is better than none, and they are widely available for as little as $49-$79. More expensive units typically become a lot heavier as they give you larger batteries for longer back-up run times and the ability to hook up more equipment.
A couple of sites to check out for you. Good luck!

http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=165

http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/ups-battery-backup-systems.cfm
 

oililymad

macrumors 6502
Jun 5, 2009
408
0
UK
definiely get a UPS.

a power cut recently took out my EHD and left me with stripes down the display of my 2009 20"

Other things?
I'm still looking for something to put the thing on! My current set up is a Hd Tv and an iMac next to it, but the 27" wont fit. so still looking as i have very limited space. trying to find somewhere in the Uk that sell Rain Designs Igo stand.

Im also looking at a better back-up/ storage system. was going to get a Drobo, but haven't been hearing great reports recently.
 

PhillyAnt

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2013
169
60
Philly
I would definitely purchase a Back-UPS unit. I already purchased mine from Amazon, and my iMac is still a ways away, with a quoted Feb. 7th - 14th arrival date. I got the CyberPower CP1350PFCLCD Pure Sine Wave Back-UPS. It's a 1350VA, 810W model. I have already owned a CP1000PFCLCD, the 1000VA, 600W model, and used it with my Mid-2011 27" iMac and it worked wonderfully. Gave me a 34-minute run time during an outage when I was actively using the computer. So having enough time to shut off with that one wasn't an issue. This time I opted for the 1350VA, 810W model because my new iMac is more maxed out than my Mid-2011 model. Though you should still be fine with a 600W model. Either way, I would DEFINITELY get a Back-UPS unit, especially if you live in an area where there's storms and a chance of outages (which is pretty much everywhere), because a hard shut down isn't so great on your computer. Also, whatever back-UPS unit you get, be sure it's a Pure Sine Wave model, that will work with a PFC Power Supply, which is what your iMac has. If you walk into your local Staples and purchase one of the APC units from there, it won't work, because the PFC power supplies will not run on "stepped approximation to a sine wave" power, when the unit's switched to battery power during a black-out. Your computer will just have a hard shut down as if you don't have any back-UPS unit at all. The price for these CyberPower units isn't bad at all. I only paid $161.00 for mine with free 2-day shipping (because I have Amazon Prime). If you are thinking about the 600W model, they only run about $130, but it's not through Amazon it's through a vendor so if you need to return or exchange it, you'll have more hassle. It's better just to cough up the extra $30 and go for the 810W unit.

Looks like I am considering the CyberPower CP1350PFCLCD. Seems like a nice top end model. I rather always get more than I need (as you can see with the 32 gb of ram I am putting in the system). I have never used a UPS though. Right now I just use a Furman line conditioner that I used to use for my high end DJ equipment. I have my iMac, Speakers, and a few other things plugged into it. I guess I will just move everything over to the new UPS. A few questions.

1. Does the UPS make noise? Will I have a fan running in the background? I don't want it to affect any professional recordings I need to do in my studio.

2. Does it give off a lot of heat?

3. Where do you put your UPS? On top of the desk near the computer? Under the desk? I was planning on keeping it on top.

4. I can use this as a regular surge protector, right? I just plug everything into this and I am safe?

5. Can I plug too much into it? I was thinking my iMac, KRK Speakers, phone, cable box, external hard drive, router, etc. I want to have my old iMac running too, just to have another workspace although I can plug that one in to a normal surge protector because it has already taken a beating. Can I plug everything into the UPS at the same time? Will that draw too much power? Heck, I wonder if it will draw too much power from the wall outlet. I don't want to trip any fuses.

6. I see it comes with software called PowerPanel Personal. Do I need to install this on my computer for the UPS to work? I was hoping just to plug the computer in and thats it.
 

PhillyAnt

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2013
169
60
Philly
This is a test reply post. I posted a reply with some questions about an hour ago and I got a notice saying that my message had to be approved by a moderator. Are all posts (even replies in threads that I started) moderated on this forum? What are the rules? I looked around and didn't read anything saying that but I could be blind. Sorry, I am still learning the rules here. Thanks!

PS: I am writing this so I can figure out if my question will be posted soon or if there was some type of error and I need to retype everything.

----------

This is a test reply post. I posted a reply with some questions about an hour ago and I got a notice saying that my message had to be approved by a moderator. Are all posts (even replies in threads that I started) moderated on this forum? What are the rules? I looked around and didn't read anything saying that but I could be blind. Sorry, I am still learning the rules here. Thanks!

PS: I am writing this so I can figure out if my question will be posted soon or if there was some type of error and I need to retype everything.

And its looking like this post went through right away. Interesting. Am I crazy or did I type something that required moderation?
 

TurboGrafx16Fan

macrumors newbie
Jan 6, 2013
5
0
Where did you get that desk? I need one for my studio monitors


Thanks to those that have commented so far. I am actually a music junkie and a flight sim guy. I have the Apogee duet and 2 self powered KRK speakers on my current set up which I will be moving to the new iMac so my sound is covered.

I never played X Plane. I was a huge Microsoft Flight Simulator guy and I haven't played it since my PC days. Is X Plane just as good? Is it better? I am super excited about that.

I am definitely planning on a UPS, although I rarely lose power here.

Here is a picture of my current setup:


Image
 

kennyap

macrumors regular
Jul 14, 2012
147
1
Cayman Islands
Hey folks! New guy here. Been browsing the forums for a while but finally decided to register and participate. I ordered a fully loaded 27 inch iMac with minimum ram so I can put my own in. I am probably going to order 32 gig of ram from macsales.com and just max it out. Why? Because I like wasting money I guess. I have $25 in Best Buy Rewardzone cash so I will probably go there and pick up the dvd drive just to have it. Any other accessories you folks like to add on with your new computer? I have never owned a UPS. I think I want to get one this time. What are you using? What do you recommend? What are the reasons you recommend that certain UPS? What are the reasons I should own a UPS? I want to buy the best that I can. I am probably going to order something off of Amazon tonight.

Please let me know any other accessories you like having too.

Thanks for your time!

Ant

Get a Synology 1512+ , which is arguably the best 5-bay NAS you can get, and fill it with some quality SATA drives. I have this and also a Drobo 5D (DAS), to ensure all my precious home-related data is never lost.
 

PhillyAnt

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2013
169
60
Philly
Where did you get that desk? I need one for my studio monitors

Hey TurboGrafx16Fan,

The desk is the PERFECT set up for my studio. I actually have 3 of those desks in this room. The 1 you see holding the speakers and computer and then 2 lengthwise on the right that hold my TV, Printer, and a bunch of trash lol. I got them from.... IKEA! And guess what? They were only $49 each! They are super sturdy, very clean, and perfect for the job. Here is a direct link to them on the Ikea website:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59849977/#/S99849975

The the stands that I have the speakers sitting on were just little mini table tops and 4 legs that I picked out for each stand. I cannot find a link to them but they are also from Ikea. The bottom of the legs have rubber on them and help absorb any vibrations that come from the speakers. I also have the speakers laying on Auralex Mopad Monitor Isolation Pads. A must have in my opinion. Here is a link to them:

http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolation_mopad/sound_isolation_mopad.asp

653_1066455471883_8128_n_zps1a898ab6.jpg
653_1066455671888_2891_n.jpg


653_1066455791891_6024_n.jpg
 

PhillyAnt

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2013
169
60
Philly
I think I decided on the CyberPower CP1350PFCLCD for a UPS. I have never owned one before so I have a few questions.

1. Cyberpower or APC? Why do you like one over the other?

2. Is it being Pure Sine Waveback really important? Pros/Cons?

3. Is this overkill? I see a lot of UPS units that are much cheaper. Is it worth spending the extra $ on this model?

4. Do they give off a lot of heat?

5. Is it quiet or will I hear a fan running when it gets hot?

6. I don't have a lot of knowledge when it comes to power/wattage etc. Will I be able to plug in my new fully loaded 27 inch iMac, powered speakers, phone, modem, and external drive into this or will it draw too much power?

7. Does this unit serve as a line conditioner too? I currently have all of my equipment plugged into a Furman conditioner. Will I need to use the Furman or will the UPS cover that too?

Thanks for taking the time to help this noob out.
 

nosnhojm

macrumors regular
Oct 16, 2011
191
219
I ordered the CP1000PFCLCD for my new iMac, but also have the CP1000AVRLCD powering my cable modem, router, and nas. I can't answer all of your questions (I don't have my new UPS yet), but here are some answers:

1. Cyberpower or APC? Why do you like one over the other?
APC is builds UPS units for both home and business use (server farms). They are well known, well built, and reliable...but also overpriced. Cyberpower is more aimed at home users and is cheaper (both initial cost and battery replacements).

2. Is it being Pure Sine Waveback really important? Pros/Cons?
Yes. If you use an approximated sine wave unit with an iMac, the power supply will "hum". This may be indication that the UPS is stressing the power supply.

6. I don't have a lot of knowledge when it comes to power/wattage etc. Will I be able to plug in my new fully loaded 27 inch iMac, powered speakers, phone, modem, and external drive into this or will it draw too much power?
It will be able to power it...but the real question is "for how long". The 2011 iMac draws 80 watts at idle, and 365 watts at max load. If you figure that the rest of your equipment draws another 100 watts, then you are at ~465 watts. Your CP1350PFCLCD is rated at 810 watts and 12V/7Ah, so a little math (12V * 7ah / 465w * 60min/h = 10) shows it should last ~ 10 minutes (at least, I think that math is correct).
 

PhillyAnt

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2013
169
60
Philly

large farva

macrumors regular
Jan 14, 2013
162
0
Melbourne, FL
Looks like I am considering the CyberPower CP1350PFCLCD. Seems like a nice top end model. I rather always get more than I need (as you can see with the 32 gb of ram I am putting in the system). I have never used a UPS though. Right now I just use a Furman line conditioner that I used to use for my high end DJ equipment. I have my iMac, Speakers, and a few other things plugged into it. I guess I will just move everything over to the new UPS. A few questions.

1. Does the UPS make noise? Will I have a fan running in the background? I don't want it to affect any professional recordings I need to do in my studio.

2. Does it give off a lot of heat?

3. Where do you put your UPS? On top of the desk near the computer? Under the desk? I was planning on keeping it on top.

4. I can use this as a regular surge protector, right? I just plug everything into this and I am safe?

5. Can I plug too much into it? I was thinking my iMac, KRK Speakers, phone, cable box, external hard drive, router, etc. I want to have my old iMac running too, just to have another workspace although I can plug that one in to a normal surge protector because it has already taken a beating. Can I plug everything into the UPS at the same time? Will that draw too much power? Heck, I wonder if it will draw too much power from the wall outlet. I don't want to trip any fuses.

6. I see it comes with software called PowerPanel Personal. Do I need to install this on my computer for the UPS to work? I was hoping just to plug the computer in and thats it.


1. When I had mine, I noticed no noise at all from it. The only time it would make noise (the fan cutting on, and it isn't that loud at all) was when there was an issue, like if there was an outage, or if the voltage dropped to an unusable level and it had to use battery power. Though, in the reviews on Amazon, I HAVE seen a couple reviews where the people said theirs had a loud fan or it caused some clicking/vibrations within the unit itself. But I wouldn't worry about it, as any company can ship an occasional defective product, and plus Amazon has a really good return/exchange policy and fast/friendly service.

2. Does give off much heat at all. When I would occasionally rest my foot on the unit, it barely felt warm. The only time I would see it getting warmer is if it was relying heavily on the battery during an outage, hence the fan kicking in to cool the unit.

3. I actually kept mine on the floor next to my desk most of the time, though a few times I changed things around a bit a couple times and had it on the top of the desk and on the shelf to the left (my desk has attached shelves on the left side). If you are asking this, curious about the units size, these units are definitely a lot smaller than the common APC units you see at Staples and such. My 600W unit was very small, about 9" H x 4" W x 11" D. They are definitely small enough to sit on your desktop next to other components. Here are the measurements for the unit I have currently, the same one you are considering. 10" H x 4" W x 14" D.. That is the CP1350PFCLCD (810W) model, which is slightly larger than my old CP1000PFCLCD (600W) model. Now, they have another model, which is the CP1500PFCLCD (900W) model, so if you are looking to connect more things, or things that draw more power, I would go with that, but it IS a little more expensive, at $191, versus the $160 for the CP1350PFCLCD (810W).

4. Yes, the units do have built in surge protection. And actually, with these units, you get more surge protection than you would with the more common APC non sine-wafe units. The APC units only give you about 350 joules of protection, these CyberPower units give you around 1000 joules. I can't remember the exact figure, but you can look up the products specs and it'll tell you. The CP1350PFCLCD unit has a total of ten (10) outlets, five are with battery back-up and surge protection, and the other five are only with surge protection.

5. You CAN over power these units, as you can over power any units. For example. There's a warning in the instructions that warn you not to plug a laser printer into the battery protected side, because laser printers consume too much power while printing (there is a heated element inside the unit that draws a butt load of power I believe, though I'm not familiar with the goings on of laser printers), also you should plug a space heater into the unit as they draw 1000W-1500W, lol. As for electronics, you would know before you overloaded it, because on the display of the unit, it shows you the load you have on the unit, for example, I had my Mid-2011 27" iMac plugged into the 600W unit, and it showed there was a 10% load on the unit, though I doubt that it was a full 10% load on the unit, because it display is 10% increments. Chances are it was like a 6% load or something. I actually saw a youtube video, where a guy had his CP1350PFCLCD plugged into all his professional home-audio equipment, amplifiers and all, and had the music BLASTING, and was running the unit on battery power when he unplugged the unit from the wall, and the CP1350PFCLCD pushed it all no problem, and displayed a 6 minute run time. And we're talking big, power hungry audio equipment. But if you want the most capacity you can have, instead of getting the CP1350PFCLCD, purchase the CP1500PFCLCD, which is a 1500VA/900W unit. I just checked and it has a $191 price tag versus the CP1350PFCLCD's $161 price tag. Because you can never have too much capacity.

6. Good news. Yes, the unit does come with software, but that software is mainly for PC/Windows users. Since you are using this unit on your Mac, all you have to do is literally plug your Mac, and components into the unit, plug the provided USB connection cable into the back of the unit, and then to one of your Mac USB connections and you're set. These units automatically work with OS X's Energy Saver features. Once you have everything connected, go into you "System Preferences" and then to the "Energy Saver" icon, which will bring up the Energy Saver section. Then there will be a tab at the top that will say "UPS". Simply click on that and you can configure your Mac to your Back-UPS unit. You can set it to automatically shut down you Mac after running on battery power for a certain amount of time, or to shut down your Mac once the Back-UPS's battery reaches a certain percentage level and such. It's a pretty sweet set up. It's all really straight forward, no extra software needed.

So like I was saying, if you want to spend the extra $30, go with the CP1500PFCLCD (900W) unit, and that will give you the most capacity out of any of these units. It'll give you an extra 90W to work with over the CP1350PFCLCD. Personally I don't know what kind of equipment you're hooking up, and the power consumption of the equipment, so if you have any question, just go with the 900W unit, it's only $30 more. Also, I think the CP1500PFCLCD is the same exact size as the CP1350PFCLCD unit, as they are both packaged in the same retail packaging with the same foam inserts. Just as the CP850PFCLCD is the same size as the CP1000PFCLCD unit.
 

large farva

macrumors regular
Jan 14, 2013
162
0
Melbourne, FL
Hey Philly. I just posted a response to the 6 questions you asked me when you quoted my post. Someone else earlier, I think it might have been you, said something about quoting posts having to be approved by moderators. I think it's only if you post a huge post. When I clicked submit, it said that my post will be posted when it's approved by moderators. I think this is only if you have a LOT of text in your post, and I think they do this to be sure you're not spamming.

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Let me know. I see that it isn't a Pure Sine Wave model. Some people are saying that its important to have that. I'm wondering if it would have been worth you paying the extra $15 and going with this model:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00429N19M/ref=gno_cart_title_1

Yes, with the iMac, it is VERY important that you get a Pure Sine Wave unit. Because the iMac's have Power Factor Corrected power supplies. (Which actually is what the "PFC" in CP1350PFCLCD stands for.) If you don't get a Pure Sine Wave unit, you power supply will either hum badly, or the Back-UPS unit just wont be able to keep your computer on during an outage, and your computer will do a hard shut down, as if there was no Back-UPS unit connected. Which is bad. So stay away from "Stepped Approximation to a Sine Wave" units, those are the APC units you find at Staples and such. It's actually interesting, apparently when you connect the stepped approximation units to a oscilloscope, it actually looks like steps, with more square waves. But with the CyberPower units, or other Pure Sine Wave units, it forms a perfect sine wave. Real nice....
 

PhillyAnt

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2013
169
60
Philly
Hey Philly. I just posted a response to the 6 questions you asked me when you quoted my post. Someone else earlier, I think it might have been you, said something about quoting posts having to be approved by moderators. I think it's only if you post a huge post. When I clicked submit, it said that my post will be posted when it's approved by moderators. I think this is only if you have a LOT of text in your post, and I think they do this to be sure you're not spamming.

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Yes, with the iMac, it is VERY important that you get a Pure Sine Wave unit. Because the iMac's have Power Factor Corrected power supplies. (Which actually is what the "PFC" in CP1350PFCLCD stands for.) If you don't get a Pure Sine Wave unit, you power supply will either hum badly, or the Back-UPS unit just wont be able to keep your computer on during an outage, and your computer will do a hard shut down, as if there was no Back-UPS unit connected. Which is bad. So stay away from "Stepped Approximation to a Sine Wave" units, those are the APC units you find at Staples and such. It's actually interesting, apparently when you connect the stepped approximation units to a oscilloscope, it actually looks like steps, with more square waves. But with the CyberPower units, or other Pure Sine Wave units, it forms a perfect sine wave. Real nice....

Thanks for your response! I need to decide between the 1350 and the 1500 now. Gonna order something tonight.

Hopefully the moderators will approve my post and your reply sometime soon.
 
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