January 24, 2011

When SMART is not so smart

It seems like everyone uses the term Smart UPS.

APC owns the trademark, but Tripplite uses SmartOnline, Cyberpower uses Smart App, and Powervar uses ACE Smart in their UPS brands

But does the term Smart really mean.

To some, Smart means the ability to interact with the UPS.  But some even APC Smart UPS units, dont have this feature. And even you accept this definition, nearly every UPS interacts through a computer.  So unless everyone is exceptionally gifted, this definition doesn't work.

To me Smart should mean a better UPS: interactive, responsive, cleaner.  Features like communications, voltage trim, surge suppression and pure sine wave should be in a smarter UPS.   APC for the most part follows this.  All the APC Smart-UPS unit have these features, except the crappy square wave Smart UPS SC and the non Network management Smart UPS 420.   Tripplite and Cyberpower dont seem to follow the sine wave rule as Smart VS units and Smart App both are square wave.

Bottomline, since the definition isnt really clear, avoid using or paying any attention to the term.  Its a fluff word, like adding the word Hot toWings.