I also like the Belkin Conserve. This is nice because it has two outlets for things you want to have powered all the time--your alarm clock, the laptop, your DVR, etc.--then several other outlets for things you only want on while you are using them--the printer and computer speakers or the TV and DVD player, for example. Those outlets are controlled by a remote switch that can be attached to a wall so you don't have to reach under your desk or behind the TV stand every time you need those outlets on. I keep my remote switch in my desk drawer.

Sold Out at OnHop!

Please let us know if you find an alternate source!

Warning! Shut down your computer before shutting the power off. Otherwise, you may lose a hard drive.

This does work, however. As a creature of habit, I noticed that I dropped about $5/mo on a $40 electric bill by doing this. I finally decided it wasn't worth the hassle, but it does work.

I still use one of those old pizza-box devices made in the early 1990s by DAK (Drew A. Kaplan). It works perfectly; I can't imagine being without it. Even has a voltage meter on the front. Computer, scanner, printer, monitor, and external back-up drive are a few of the devices I can switch on and off to save the planet.

Two alternative suggestions if you like switches in front and outlets in back: 1) my local PC recycler (http://www.repc.com/) has loads of the "pizza boxes" for cheap 2) use a rack-mountable lighting circuit breaker. I use a Chauvet PC-08 which has a street price of around $25 new (available at amazon.com among other places). Neither of these options are surge suppressors but you can plug into an exisiting suppressor.

Moon,

Do you mind sending me a $48 check every January if it isn't worth your hassle? ;)

Karsten

$5 a month is $60 a year, not $48. If Moon does send Karsten a check, she should invest in a calculator.

I'm surprised the related items don't include Smart Strips, I know they've been covered here.

Multiples HAs, Karsten (and Michael).

The question is: what's your time worth? And since it takes over 5 minutes for Windows to start up and another 5 minutes to shut down, just once a day turning it off is almost $5 of my time every day.

I just decided it wasn't worth it.

You might also look around some of the Ham Radio gear sites; I'd expect to find something similar there.

Tripp Lite still makes the pizza-box under monitor surge-suppressor command center. I'm using the TOUCHMASTER COMPACT.

Links:
product page at Tripp Lite: http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtModelID=2636.
Google product search: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=TMC-6&oe=UTF-8&cid=2754332476980318944&sa=button#ps-sellers.

Only available in canada -can't find this ultra surge protector in the US. if anyone finds it in the US let me know.

Moon, are you familiar with Kant's "categorical imperative"? It's the idea that everything you do should be something that it would be OK for *everyone* to do. Following the dictates of the categorical imperative, no matter how tedious or annoying it might seem to be, allows your species to prosper over long periods of time, instead of simply burning out its ecological niche and being superseded by another species. Humans are in danger of self-extinction because we have decided that living consciously in the moment is less desirable than rushing about wildly chasing the next new thing, without taking care or thought for our species survival. Unless you generate your own power, your wasteful attitude is destructive.

Not trying to judge you as a person, but rather trying to provide an alternate viewpoint that might make you happier about saving power, and less distressed by "wasting time".

Also, as I tell the kids in school: a computer turned off cannot be fried by lightning, cannot be infected by viruses, and cannot become part of a criminal botnet. At least 40% of computers on broadband are controlled by criminals; by turning off your computer when you're not using it, you lessen the chances of having your door kicked in by police looking for child pornography distributors.

HA! A Kantian discussion on the merits of me spending $5 more a month on electricity for convenience.

Let me ask you this: Do you drive a car? Because I don't. And, by the same argument, a car is a convenience. A time saver on most trips. And a car pollutes a LOT more than my electricity from a nuclear generating plant.

I appreciate that you aren't trying to judge me as a person, but you ARE judging me as a person and without the facts. I'm life long environmentalist, starting well BEFORE Earth Day.

I live in a good building, which is obviously well-grounded. We have an occasional storm where lightning hits the building, but there's never any fried computers. A little paranoia on hackers is good, but most likely you are going to get hacked when you are online anyway. I've got a good firewall and ultra security, I'm not worried about that. Man, I live in Chicago, home of the baby blue helmet police and I really don't worry about then kicking down my door looking for child porn. That's EXTREMELY paranoid. Has that even happened? I've never heard of it.

Haha. That "police busting down the door for child porn" just reminded me of the OLD National Lampoon "Paranoia" issue:
'
"You can't hide from a dope-sniffing rhino!"

/As an aside, can somebody tell me why the Captcha bot never works the FIRST time?? It's annoying.

found it at aislebuyaisle.com $14+ but $10 shipping.

They sell these types of power strips everywhere here in Tokyo. I think Japan is a much more "power conscious" country. These things often go for about 500 yen, or less than USD $5.00.

at tiger direct - or thru amazon (but it comes from tiger direct) $16+ shipping.