Turning on iMac

[moey2k2001]

Hey

Simple question please. Is there a way to turn on / power on the iMac Pro from an external button?
Like a sort of button that is attached via USB or something?

Sleepmode is not the option I am looking for.

An iMac Pro in the Studio is placed further away from the desk and it gets annoying to have to sneak behind cables and a desk to turn it on...

Thanks

 

[DeltaMac]

Hey

Simple question please. Is there a way to turn on / power on the iMac Pro from an external button?
Like a sort of button that is attached via USB or something?

Sleepmode is not the option I am looking for.

An iMac Pro in the Studio is placed further away from the desk and it gets annoying to have to sneak behind cables and a desk to turn it on...

I did read your post - but Sleep mode is what you would use for that.
Macs, years ago, booted from a power key on the keyboard, but that kind of boot was removed, IIRC, about the time that ADB was removed, although some Macs continued to do that, such as the oldest iMacs. Those came with a USB keyboard with power button. It was removed about 1999, I think, when those keyboards were no longer sold (and the Macs sold at that time could not use soft power switch, even if you plugged that keyboard in.
If you are required to turn your iMac Pro off, then one solution is to make the existing power button more accessible (!), perhaps by using a swivel VESA mount on your iMPro

 

[mj_]

I think one of the reasons, if not the only reason, for the absolutely braindead moronic idiotic placement of the power button on the iMac is that Apple expects you to never really need it. And, like DeltaMac said, the only way to do so is to use sleep mode since the power button on the keyboard is no longer present and no longer works on modern Macs either. The Apple way would be to press any key on your keyboard or mouse in order to wake up your Mac, and as often the Apple way is literally the only way. Apple is not about options. Apple has always been a "my way or the highway" sort of company.

And that's exactly why there is no option that I know of to accomplish what you're trying to accomplish.

 

[Glmnet1]

https://www.amazon.com/MicroBot-Push-Wireless-Automation-Platinum/dp/B01FQN2T2W

Maybe something like this? Funny solution but hey if it works ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Else you can try WOL. There are a few iOS/Android apps that could wake up your make if connected with an ethernet cable.

 

[mj_]

From what I've heard WOL only works if your Mac is in Standby and not when it's completely powered off.

 

[Glmnet1]

From what I've heard WOL only works if your Mac is in Standby and not when it's completely powered off.

Oh you're right. And it seems it requires a Airport or Apple TV on the network...

 

[moey2k2001]

https://www.amazon.com/MicroBot-Push-Wireless-Automation-Platinum/dp/B01FQN2T2W

Maybe something like this? Funny solution but hey if it works ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Else you can try WOL. There are a few iOS/Android apps that could wake up your make if connected with an ethernet cable.

Thats a funny solution but probably the best if I want to shut it down!

Has anyone actually tried this?
Are there more similar “robots/buttons” like this?

 

[Glmnet1]

Thats a funny solution but probably the best if I want to shut it down!

Has anyone actually tried this?
Are there more similar “robots/buttons” like this?

I never tried it myself and the reviews are mixed.

If you want to shut it down you can do so from the menu though, no need to press the button.

 

[DeltaMac]

Thats a funny solution but probably the best if I want to shut it down!

Has anyone actually tried this?
Are there more similar “robots/buttons” like this?

I guess you meant NOT the best if you want to shut it down. Pressing the power button is a last resort way to shut down.
You would not use the power button for that, unless there is no other choice. You might as well disconnect the power cord, or turn your power strip/UPS off.

Do you really have a reason NOT to sleep your iMac?

 

[moey2k2001]

I guess you meant NOT the best if you want to shut it down. Pressing the power button is a last resort way to shut down.
You would not use the power button for that, unless there is no other choice. You might as well disconnect the power cord, or turn your power strip/UPS off.

Do you really have a reason NOT to sleep your iMac?

sorry I totally forgot to reply. no i actually didn't mean that. my iPhone did auto correct and for some reason this happened...

i just want a device of sort to turn on/off my mac if possible but i guess it would only be possible with that "robot" AND for that robot I still need my phone.... so bummer. no really practical.

but thanks for everyones input and sorry for the late reply.

 

[DeltaMac]

Still...
You can always turn your iMac off through software (which is the only fully "safe" method to shut your Mac off)

Have you checked for built-in capabilities in your Mac system?
You could also use your system to turn itself on, using the Schedule options in System Preferences/Energy Saver pane.
That has some restrictions, as it won't shut off at schedule time if an app won't close because of an unsaved document, and maybe a few other similar cases. And you would be restricted to the boot time that you save in that pane.
However, you could change the start time to something else, each time you get ready to shut down for the day, as a last setting - assuming you know when you will be using the Mac, and that varies from one day to the next.

Finally - I still don't understand how it can be so inconvenient to reach around the left corner of the screen to press a button that you can feel. No need to even look at the button - and cables don't connect to the left side, only the lower right.
Is the iMac in a different room from the keyboard, and you use it looking through a window or other opening?

 

[moey2k2001]

Still...
You can always turn your iMac off through software (which is the only fully "safe" method to shut your Mac off)

Have you checked for built-in capabilities in your Mac system?
You could also use your system to turn itself on, using the Schedule options in System Preferences/Energy Saver pane.
That has some restrictions, as it won't shut off at schedule time if an app won't close because of an unsaved document, and maybe a few other similar cases. And you would be restricted to the boot time that you save in that pane.
However, you could change the start time to something else, each time you get ready to shut down for the day, as a last setting - assuming you know when you will be using the Mac, and that varies from one day to the next.

Finally - I still don't understand how it can be so inconvenient to reach around the left corner of the screen to press a button that you can feel. No need to even look at the button - and cables don't connect to the left side, only the lower right.
Is the iMac in a different room from the keyboard, and you use it looking through a window or other opening?

- I don’t want to force it to shut down. Obvously I know to swtich it off through the Apple menu…


- Turning itself on with schedule doesnt bring me anything as I don’t want that… I don’t turn it on on the same time each day….


- Well it is inconvenient as the iMac is a few meters away from the desk. It is on a stand behind a desk and the middle of speakers and appliances…


- its almost as if it were in a different room yes hahaha


I use a lot of the Powercube with remotes… to turn things on.

For example I got two speakers connected to one of those remotes. If I were to always go behind the speakers to tunr them on, I would have to go a few meters behind the desk and between the imac etc… plus the button to turn them on is very small and not easy to find without looking…


Something like the powercube remote would be sick

https://goo.gl/images/hzCfVe

 

[DeltaMac]

Ah, OK. I get the idea...

And, I'm out of possible ideas that would fit with your situation.
Except, do you shut ALL power off when you are not using the iMac (and I assume more of your equipment also is shut off)?
Macs actually will do quite well sleeping - I never shut off my Mac, for example.
I know you already mentioned that, and I suppose you have an equipment or some local requirement to power OFF - but if you really don't have to turn the Mac off completely - there may be a simple solution - just sleep the iMac.
It could be connected in such a way that the iMac could keep power, but all of your other gear would be off. Maybe with the iMac on its own power strip.
But, if you have building power constraints, and everything must be shut off, then I guess that won't work.

(I'm trying to discover some ideas - if I am annoying you with the same questions about your situation, I'll quit... )

 

[moey2k2001]

no ur not annoying me



Would love to find an idea to solve it. Dont want sleep mode. I know hey sleep well haha but I rather shut it off. Some devices are connected to it and sometimes they do activity and it wakes up the iMac… So no. sleep won’t work.



Prefer to shut it off. At the moment I crawl on top of the desk… haha

 

[hfg]

This seems awfully convoluted ... but here goes:

For shut down: either command the system to shut down, or if you are on a scheduled work day, set the schedule/timer (this is in Preferences/EnergySaver/Schedule) to shut down the computer at a specified time shortly after you leave work.

For startup: if you are on a scheduled work day, set the schedule/timer to start up the computer at a specified time shortly before you start work.

You could also use a remote power outlet to remove power AFTER you have shut down normally ... then, with Preferences/EnergySaver option "Start up automatically after a power failure" set, simply turn on the power outlet from your remote switch. The iMac should start up normally. This remote power outlet could also shut down any peripheral equipment such as printers, scanners, external disk arrays, etc.