I have been using a Belkin UPS (uninterrupted power supply I believe) for the past 2 years. I think I initially got it because I heard that black outs or brown outs could damage electrical equipment and I didn't want to put my classic systems at risk.
But the thing is damn ugly and takes up much needed floor space so I am thinking about going back to just a standard surge protector. I mean, I think a UPS or a power conditioner (to regulate/clean up AC power) is probably overkill. I am also unconvinced that a sudden drop in power would do much to an older video game system, but I was looking for some feedback from the forum.