I use an Adesso USB ergonomic keyboard on my G4/667 mac, I can power up the G4 by hitting the power-button. I suspect this keyboard will work with current Mac computers. I need one for my quad G5 Mac. External PC Power button. Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Fergal1982, Dec 19, 2007. Fergal1982 Petabyte Poster. 4,196 172 211. Dec 19, 2007 #1. Ideally I want a USB type device, rather than having to manually wire a power button, since I'd be giving the missus one (oo-er) for her work.

If you want to use your MacBook as a desktop system, you can connect a USB keyboard (and of course, a monitor), and the internal screen will stay turned off that way. I rarely use my MacBook outside the office, so this setup is perfect for me. Cinemagraph software for mac download.

It also turns out that the Macbook between the stem and the panel of my Belinea o.display 24' -- which means that it does not use any valuable desktop space at all. Problem: In order to power-on the MacBook, I had to remove it out of its resting spot, to open its lid which is covering the on/off switch. Not a nice concept, Apple. Solution: I taped an old PCI slot cover to my MacBook, as shown here:. How to get photoshop for free macbook pro. The slot cover sticks out far enough, and can easily be bent a little bit (just about 1/4 inch), which presses the button on its other end, inside the MacBook.

Here are some pictures of the full setup:. Mounting and remounting of the slot cover is a matter of seconds. If you have an older Apple USB keyboard with a power button, you don't have to worry about using twisted metal. A word of warning though. Using your laptop with the screen closed produces a lot more heat than with the screen open. You laptop cools itself through the keyboard and with the screen closed, you are baking your LCD. I did this for several months with a PowerBook G3 (Lombard) and my LCD faded to nothing.

If you can, let the MacBook's screen stay open a little and set let the brightness to minimum, or see if there is a way to turn it off completely (on my old Lombard, you used to be able to wake or startup with the screen closed and then open the lid again without the screen kicking in until you went to discover displays). My current machine is actually a MacBook Pro and it definitely does still dissipate heat through the keyboard (as well as the bottom and vents on the sides and back), though having the machine propped up should let it go through the back a little bit more and reduce the heat on the screen. All I'm saying is that although you can safely run the machine closed, I wouldn't for prolonged periods of time.

If you just use the machine as a desktop with an external monitor, an iMac is cheaper, more powerful and purpose built. Still, you couldn't prise my MBP out of my cold dead hands! From the images it looks like the MacBook could be opened a few inches while on the 'stand'. This would make it possible to wake from sleep with the keyboard - a bit like powering on an iMac with your hand round the back. It may be enough to keep the PCI cover away from the screen & help with cooling too. A bigger desk may be cheaper than a new display if you accidentally pull instead of push the PCI cover.

I think Apple have a reason for disabling the use of a laptop without the screen open, have you had to alter the firmware, or do they now operate when using external monitors & the lid closed? Not to belabor the point, but wouldn't simply putting the laptop to sleep with the 'Wake for Ethernet network administrator access' checkbox unchecked in the Energy Saver preferences solve your connection issue? Obviously, you do whatever you want with your computer, but it seems like just putting your laptop to sleep when you're done with it and hitting a key on the keyboard in the morning to wake it up would be quite a bit simpler than jury rigging something that, in spite of the best intentions, could eventually mar the surface of your computer, or at worst, damage the power button if it got accidentally hit with enough force. Just a thought. This is slightly off topic, but - in addition to agreeing with some of the others who wonder about the need to shut down at all, I have a more basic question.

Why do people bother to close the lid of the macbook at all? I've been using these laptops as my primary machines since the days of the Powerbook 165c ( yes! The memories of grad school) and have used them with an external monitor whenever possible. And when doing that, I simply use the mac's built-in multiple monitor support to get myself more screen real estate by using both displays!