APC Battery Back Up Surge Protector, 500VA Backup Battery Power Supply, BK500BLK Back-UPS

I bought this UPS to go with a mini PC I have. The PC doesn't have a battery. As a test, I unplugged the UPS, and the PC stayed on. I plugged the UPS back in, and the PC kept running as expected. I initially bought a CyberPower CP850PFCLCD 850VA Sinewave UPS. My PC would would turn off when I plugged the PC back in during this test, and it was repeatable. The monitor stayed on, with no visible power cycling. I got a refund on the CyberPower - as the point of a UPS is for your computer to stay on during an outage (!!!). I initially chose the CyberPower for the sine wave, easily replaced battery, and digital display.This is a line interactive step-approximated sine wave system. The manual says the transfer to battery delay on outage is "6ms typical, 10ms max." The manual says the stepped sine wave is appropriate for computers and peripherals and "is not intended for motor driven equipment," and the input power may be rejected (no mention of any associated hazard). This is fine with me.I actually prefer (a lot) the simple operation of this unit compared to the CyberPower. I don't need all those extra settings the CyberPower has, which I realized when I stepped through them at installation. With the APC, you just charge it for 10 hours, and then plug it in and go. The APC is also smaller (6 3/4" tall vs. 9 1/2"). The APC has a voltage sensitivity setting (low/default) for noisy (voltage range) input voltage, for use with equipment not sensitive to this fluctuation, to avoid switch overs to battery, which shortens battery life. I left it on default, and there have been no switch overs. When I unplug the UPS (power outage) there are initial warning beeps, followed by 4 beeps every 30 seconds. You can mute those beeps with a short press of the power button, and you won't get more beeps until the battery level gets critical. The beeps aren't too loud, and I'll probably leave them going during an outage. There is optional software to control the UPS, which I haven't tested and don't need.

This works well and is a good product. I highly recommend the APC UPS 1200VA Line Interactive UPS Battery Backup, BVK1200M2 Backup Battery with AVR, ...

If you have a home computer you need something like this. During the last storm I used it to recharge my flashlights while the power was out. I is one of 2 I have in my home. One is on the TV and and cable box the other is in the computer room. I have been able to watch TV for about 1 hour on backup battery when needed. Most of the time power outages don't last that long.

Easy set up, software works, backup works. Good deal. Would have rated an 5, if it had two more outlets.

It works great and looks great. My area is prone to temporary power outages, so I needed something to bridge the gap and keep my computer(s) from shutting down improperly. The APC UPS fills the bill nicely. I would recommend this to anyone needing a UPC.

I am very disappointed with this purchase. It is non-returnable, too. I have connected this UPS and downloaded and deleted the APC PowerChute Serial Shutdown software a number of times to no avail. My pc will bot recognize the UPS using the supplied USB A to USB B provided cord. I probably have spent 3 hours on the computer with APC support. This is on a $150 item. I am awaiting an APC supplied new USB A to USB B cable to see if that works. I have tried another printer cable I have and it wouldn't recognize the UPS with my pc. I suspect the new cable won't matter but I will just wait and see.All I wanted to do is make sure my pc will utilize software to initiate a shutdown in a power loss. I guess I just purchased a small boat anchor. How can this product be so hard to use according to published information?Next time, it will be another UPS manufacturer purchased from a source where I can return the item. Sorry, Amazon, it won't be you!ADDENDUM and UPDATE -9-16-2023Note: This item IS returnable and it has been returned. My apologies to Amazon.When the USB is plugged into my computer from the UPS, there is no connection 'sound' like every other USB makes.I spent about 9 hours with Chat Support trying to figure out why this UPS would not connect to my Windows 10 Home pc. I was sent two USB A to USB B cables from APC besides the original one. None worked of the three provided. The PowerChute Serial Shutdown software never connected with the UPS and the error message was 'Communication with UPS Lost'. Support couldn't figure it out. All of the necessary Device Drivers were on my computer in the proper place (Windows, System32, Drivers); they were: hidclass.sys, hidparse.sys, and hibusb.sys.I have decided to purchase another UPS from a different manufacturer. Clearly, my computer isn't at fault; the software from APC, which is rather new, is. Sorry, APC, you lost a customer.

I've been happily using APC UPS devices for years. This moderately priced unit has an improved form factor for my network space with the outlets located at the rear rather than the top. The bright green vertical lights clearly indicate when its on.

I have long used APC UPSs in my work as an I.T. technician / engineer. The BK500 is a reliable unit; however, when I saw this unit rated at higher capacity / runtime I purchased it instead. I didn't know the battery IS NOT user-replaceable until I unpacked it and downloaded the full instruction manual. I'd estimate the battery life to be about two years based on past experience with APC units. I returned this UPS for a refund and instead purchased the BK500 which I know uses an easily replaceable, readily available 12V 7Ah battery -- they generally cost about $25. If being able to replace the battery on such units yourself is important to you, then I suggest you "pass" on this unit.