Filed under: Desktops, Hardware, How-tos, Odds and ends, Apple
Apple KB Article: Power on your Apple product
I may be the only one that enjoys these Apple KB article posts (since I write it and all) but that won't stop me. The latest KB article that tickled my fancy is the 'Power Up Quick Assist.' Besides the above graphic that shows you how to turn on various Apple products (and which I think is pretty cool) the article lists a number of ways to troubleshoot a Mac or iPod that won't start up.
Pretty handy to have on hand for the less geeky amongst us.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Yuri Walkiw said 8:38PM on 6-13-2006
Wouldn't technology newbies be the ones that actually read the manuals when they buy these products? And how will people that can't start their computers see this?
Reply
Yuri Walkiw said 8:43PM on 6-13-2006
I dread meeting the person with the $2500 PowerMac that doesn't know how to turn it on.
(sorry, just an afterthought)
Reply
mark said 8:58PM on 6-13-2006
i need help turning on my macbook pro but you don't explain it in the article :[
Reply
narco said 9:14PM on 6-13-2006
I doubt anyone would actually use this as reference, it's probably Apple's plan to cover all the bases.
Fishes,
narco.
Reply
Ken said 9:45PM on 6-13-2006
It sounds funny but it reminded me of having to teach a 60-year old woman how to perform a few tasks on her PC... and start with the basics ("when you move the mouse upwards, the little arrow goes up")
Reply
Beanie said 10:09PM on 6-13-2006
To tell you the truth, I'm a seasoned Mac guy and I totally had trouble turning on an eMac. Those power buttons are strangely placed.
Reply
Bootes said 10:47PM on 6-13-2006
I still don't understand the placement of the power button on the iMac and Mac Mini...... Why hide the power button on the back of the computer?
Reply
matt said 12:51AM on 6-14-2006
Actually the guys at the popular web-comic, Penny Arcade, did a comic highlighting the fact that one of them (a recent switcher) had trouble turning on his new Intel iMac.
It can happen to the best of 'em.
Reply
Ben said 1:44AM on 6-14-2006
Why wouldn't they have taken the picture of the iMac from the other side? What's the point in making the diagram so confusing?
Reply
Reg said 3:03AM on 6-14-2006
The best was the Cube. You didn't even need to press anything, just brush your finger in the general direction and it glowed to life underneath.
Well, that's if you knew what the universal power symbol (|) means...
Which apparently a lot of reporters at the press event didn't, so as revenge they panned the product and exaggerated a mold scratching on the first production run into a major crack, and laughed into into an early, icy grave.
Great product the Cube, really separated the sheep from the goats.
I love my Cube, and I'm glad it's been reincarnated as the entrance to Apple's NY Fifth Avenue store!
Reply
sam said 4:56AM on 6-14-2006
does anyone know why in the world apple took out the ability to power on a Mac from the keyboard? that was probably the second greatest thing Macs had that PCs didn't!
Reply
mrtotes said 5:02AM on 6-14-2006
Thanks for the picture. I've had this 1GHz TiBook sat at home for 3.5years now and never knew how to turn it on ;-?
Was this the kbase article given to the Work Experience kid to do?
Reply
Peter said 8:40AM on 6-14-2006
I used to work for a 100% PC web dev company that bought an eMac for a receptionist. Took us ages to figure out how to turn the damn thing on, why can't they just put the power button on the front?
Reply
dave said 10:30AM on 6-14-2006
Not news. I am dumping this RSS feed. Get someone else to click on your Google ads.
Reply
Matt said 10:41AM on 6-14-2006
Sam asks a good question... I haven't thought about that in years! But I do remember turning on Macs by the keyboard... I think - it's been a really long time. Wasn't there a button in the top right corner where the Eject button now is?
Reply
Liquidmark said 12:18PM on 6-14-2006
yes, there was a button there for power.
My theory: It was probably removed to appeal more to the switcher crowd (No offense to our brethren that had seen the light). Or it was deemed not necessary as their expected new user base is unaware of this functionality.
Truly sad as that feature was actually one of the greatest design concepts I have ever seen.
Reply
John Muir said 12:46PM on 6-14-2006
I agree with the eMac complaint, a switcher friend of mine bought one a couple of years ago at my advice and for a minute or two once it was out of the box both of us scratched our heads trying to figure out how to make it start! Ugh, embarrassing...
Power on by keyboard used to be neat. I wasn't Mac native back in those days, but never had any trouble figuring out how to turn one on at school or college. A nice feature which needs to be brought back. At least it works for sleep though.
Reply
Ian said 3:11PM on 6-14-2006
Is it just me or do they show the imac button on the wrong side? Mine is on the right of the computer when I sit looking at the screen.
Reply
Faye said 3:31PM on 6-14-2006
The new Intel iMacs have the power button on the left side, as you're facing the screen; the pre-Intel iMacs have them on the right side. I'm always reaching for the wrong corners when I switch between them.
Reply
moquiti said 9:44PM on 6-14-2006
It sounds funny but it reminded me of having to teach a 60-year old woman how to perform a few tasks on her PC... and start with the basics ("when you move the mouse upwards, the little arrow goes up")
I'll bet that the poor old dame is still trying to figure that one out!
Reply