>>I know some guys here who had some electronics specialist (or a real supplier of such stuff, don't remember - that was in 1999.) who had some robust and crude electronics hooked into the largest battery they could find - something designed for a tractor or truck - and used that for years. That baby could sustain a server and a workstation for a couple of hours. And mind you, the monitors weren't flat back then.
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>Some companies are experimenting with DC power in data centers, to avoid conversion losses. Maybe your guys were ahead of their time ;)

Looking at the dozens of converters just for phones, external disks other small gadgets I often wonder if it were not more efficient to standardize on a given voltage, say 6, 12 or 24 and have additional set of DC wiring throughout the house for gadgets below hair dryer or coffee machine. Gaming PC and laser printers probably on the border...