This is ridiclous
I’m not really trying to come to Apple’s defense here as they don’t need it, but everyone reacting as though this is as bad as or worse than the mouse charging port seems to be ignoring the fact that most computers nowadays don’t need to be manually turned off or on with any level of frequency. People will push this button like once or twice a month I imagine. I don’t see why that’s the end of the world.
What the hell are you talking about? I push the power button every single day on my PC. I’m aware that wake on LAN is a thing, but your average computer user doesn’t utilize that feature. And only a psychopath who doesn’t care about their power bill nor the environment would leave their PC running 24/7.
I can’t wait for Apple to reveal a desk, with a keyboard built-in underneath the back side of it.
It would be an electric standig desk as well, battery powered obviously, and you would need to flip the table top 90 degrees up sideways to recharge the battery every other month.
People would sleep outside to get their hands on it ASAP.
That desk would have a hidden monitor as well, like a fucked up pimp my ride car.
24" but 24K pixels.
okay, I was gonna say that it’s not that big of a deal because you can just slightly lift it when you want to turn it on (or just slide your finder under it, if they’re small enough) but judging by that photo, it seems like the power button is at the back of the computer? whyyyy??
anyways, im more impressed by the fact that their new shiny mouse who finally uses USB-C still has the charging port at the bottom. im starting to think they think it’s a good design???
I just think it’s weird that people are complaining about the power button and the mouse charging situation, but no one is complaining that this DESKTOP computer does not have any USB-A ports. If you want to use any wired keyboard or a Logitech mouse with the adapter you’ll need to attach a dongle. Crazy.
I read someone else musing that they must have thought that keeping it plugged in all the time would be bad, so the made it impossible to use the mouse while plugged in. Seems plausible. I suppose it would degrade the battery? Or the cord drag would be bad?
The design forces the user to use it wirelessly. Apple just wants their products to look better, meaning NO CORDS EVER. It’s entirely about aesthetic.
Their trackpad can and does work via USB so ???
I have one of their trackpads and it works great with Ubuntu over USB but not over Bluetooth for some reason. (It connects, but Ubuntu doesn’t handle it well.)
They should have just released a mouse pad that can charge the mouse wirelessly then.
$7.000
If I worked at Apple, I’d hire you right here, right now.
im surprised they haven’t done this tbh
Apparently Logitech does have this out now, so I wonder if they patented the “concept” and it will be another 20 years before anyone can do it. Assuming that someone else didn’t already do it 20 years ago and that patented already ran out.
“But it looks bad and could be bad for the battery!”
Every other wireless mouse has it in the front, Apple has no valid reason to leave it at the bottom.
The fact that everyone hasn’t taken on this design trend just shows how stupid it is.
They also take on stupid design trends, like removing the headphone jack.
This one is just several degrees more stupid.
After seeing the mouse with ports on the bottom. I’m convinced that there’s a disgruntled designer on their team and this is a cry for help.
Apparently there is a button on the keyboard, so you get to buy an Apple keyboard (I guess that is bundled?) and don’t get to use your own keyboard with it.
Like a Windows key?
Doesn’t look like it, or at least, they’ve not included one before (you just got a power cord), so it’s doubtful they would start including one now. Either that, or they’re about to release a power-button/TouchID dongle specifically to use as a separate power switch.
We went full circle.
You can use your own keyboard with it
Why am I buying a machine that small if I need to make space for two separate keyboards? I can just buy a different thing instead.
Sure, but my keyboard doesn’t have a power button.
Oh, I had one of theses keyboards!
Pushing the snooze button insta crashed the PC.
I think the special button on the keyboard is a fingerprint/lock button. Not sure if the computer supports powering on by pressing any key like the MacBooks, but it certainly will wake from sleep with any key. I don’t think you’re supposed to fully power it down as part of regular use, so they can get by with a less accessible power button
How often do you use the power button to turn on your computer? These days I might use it once a year, at most!
Literally every single time I use it. I only need it to be on when I’m using it, and I don’t use it every day.
How often do you use it, if not every day? Once a week? Once a month?
I use my laptop every day so it makes sense that I don’t use the power button even though it’s right there. I also have a raspberry pi set up to run Retropie that I only turn on once or twice a year when I have an old friend in from out of town. In that case I use the power button every single time but I don’t mind that it’s kind of finicky (I have to turn on several other devices with it as well as a power strip to power them all) because I don’t use it that often.
I could see the new Mac Mini being a bit annoying with its bottom side power button if you’re using it every other day. But honestly I would be more annoyed at the boot time taking 30s than the 2s it takes to reach under the case and power it up. If I had one I would probably just get the keyboard with built in power button and finger print reader though. I use the finger print reader on my laptop all the time because it unlocks my password manager.
As someone who has to use heavy/taped-on little toys to cover the power buttons on my PCs or else my cat invariably opens a shutdown dialog in the middle of something… Thank you.
Don’t you have to hold the power button in to force to shut down?
Yes, but even pushing it will bring up a prompt, which is annoying. And also my cat has held it down long enough to force a shutdown on my media server before, as well as on my wife’s PC during Overwatch.
And you can disable it in the options.
At least in Windows.
I don’t know how to windows, but in Linux I just disable the power button on my laptop. Long press still works, this was to avoid accidentally putting the laptop to sleep when accidentally pressing the power button
I’ll just stick with covering it up. Without fail, if I leave it uncovered my cat will press it. She’s even held it long enough for a forced shutdown twice that I can think of.
You can set the power button in Windows to either, do nothing, make the computer sleep, hibernate the computer, shut down, or turn off the display.
So they created more vertical space on the case, which would be a perfect spot for a power button - or even more ports… and then didn’t use it.
True to form, if I’m honest.
That aside, I love that they’re getting rid of the idiotic 8GB baseline spec.
Don’t worry, there will be suitable USB accessories available for this.
Only $299!
And a $199 stand for it, sold separately.
The generic Chinese version that does the same thing: $12
It’s going to Bluetooth since the Chinese version does not want to pay for the licensing fees.
“that’s insane!”
gets wallet out
“I can’t believe this!”
gets out card
“unbelievable!”
I’m not going to get a mac anytime soon, but at least it would stop my cat from powering down everything spontaneously
I guess you could flip it around and make the bottom the top 🙃
You’re thinking of a powerbottom, but that’s a totally different concept
Might make the thermal dissipation stop working properly
Part of the new Apple power bottom design strategy.
Yes, and if you complain to much they’ll put the power input on the bottom too next year.
So many people referring to using the button to turn the computer off, but more than 95% of the time, you use the OS to turn a computer off. It’s only when there’s a malfunction you would need to turn it off with a hardware button.
This button is primarily for turning the computer on.
I turn off my computer everyday maybe I’m one of those crazy ones. I think they did that so people would be discouraged to turn it off. They want the users to use their new AI feature. My other thinking is marketing if people talk about your product that’s probably a good thing.
Can’t listen in if the computer is turned off!
Well like a lover you must reach behind and underneath to turn them on!
…I seriously do not like Apples design language that basically requires me to fondle unseeable parts of the computer to find the power button. Too much risk of spiders back there!
Too much risk of spiders back there!
Found the Australian.
Sure but you still need to turn it on though?
This button is primarily for turning the computer on.
Sure but you still need to turn it on though?
?
I’m trying to say that it’s still a useful button to have in an accessible spot because, exactly as you said, it is still used to turn it on.
I assume there will be a power button on the keyboard or mouse. This is just sort of a backup.
You assume everyone uses Apple keyboards
I don’t, but apple does. This is why the touch ID is in the keyboard. To be fair it does come as a unit if you buy the mac new.
A short press of the power button shuts down almost any computer in existence, why would you use the OS?
You raise a good point
Honestly for me it’s muscle memory from the Windows 95 days of “it is now safe to turn off your computer” but I also don’t trust the OS to correctly interpret the ACPI signal sent by the power button 100% of the time. Obviously I’m not an average user, but I could see where an average user might consistently single press the power button to turn off a computer
It’s still the OS doing it, it’s just reacting to the power button press like any other input device.
You are unbelievably pedantic.
I was going to downvote you when I realized
Yeah, that isn’t a important distinction in a discussion about power button locations
He really is pedantic
Not if you hold the power button. Yeah if you single press a power button, the os can divert that, but long press, the SMC will cut power. Similarly how, pressing and holding the power and the volume down button on a phone, cuts power, even if the OS is hard frozen. Sometimes you just need an emergency exit.
True but that’s extremely rare for people to do.
True but if you can’t do it, you are pretty screwed.
Someone who isn’t a pedant would interpret “using the OS” as going through the start menu, or equivalent.
When Think Different turns into differently stupid.
Stupid Differently. Apple’s new slogan.
Dare to be Stupid?
design consistent with the Magic Mouse
