Hey guys
Low voltage is much more liable to cause damage to your computer then voltage spikes, although neither one is a good thing, and both are common here! Do your lights dim when the AC or heater kicks on - that's a voltage drop and is potentially very damaging.A surge supressor can do nothing to protect against low-voltage conditions.
The best protection against either is a UPS (Uninterruptable power supply or battery back-up). I haven't shopped for one here, but it will provide almost 100% protection from both brown-outs and spikes. UPS's are NOT the same as voltage regulators (stabilizers)
The only warning I should give you about UPS's is do NOT use them to protect laser printers (ink jets are OK) as the wattage requirements of a laser may damage the UPS.
Also, do NOT combine UPS's and surge protectors.
BTW, unplugging your computer during a lightning storm may result in more damage then leaving it plugged in!
A close lightning hit (within 20 or 30 meters or so) will create an EMP that will very possibly burn out any electric component, especially one with windings (like a hard drive motor) UNLESS it is grounded (i.e. plugged in)!
I had this happen when a lightning bolt hit a tree outside my office window and fried several computers that were unplugged, but not the ones that were!
Saludos,
David
