by , 7:30 AM EST, February 28th, 2007

Reliable power for your Mac isn't just a nice idea, it's a necessity. Power spikes and outages can hurt your beloved Mac - potentially damaging your computer and causing data loss from your hard drive. I've talked about the importance of battery backups before, and now I'm doing it again. This time, I'll show you how to select an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) that realistically meet your needs.

Enter information about your Mac...

Whenever I need a new battery backup, I start by paying a visit to APC's UPS Selector Web page. The site asks for information about your computer setup, like what processor your Mac has, how big your display is, and what peripherals you plan on using. After collecting the information, it lists three options rates as Best Price, Best Value, and Best Performance.

...and get back a list of batteries.

Since I prefer APC's products, the UPS Selector helps me choose the right model for my needs. If you like a different company's products instead, you can still use the information that the UPS Selector gives you to help find the right product from the vendor of your choice.