Computer word

What Is a Power Button?

A power button turns on a computer when you press it once. It often has a circle with a short line through the top.

What it looks like

A laptop has a button above its keys and a tab on its side. A desktop box has a button on its front and a bar on its top. A large power symbol, a circle with a short line through its top, stands beside them.

The picture shows common places to look, rather than one particular computer. A laptop’s button may be above the keyboard or on a side; a desktop box often has one on its front or top.

On Windows and on a Mac

On a MacBook, the power button is at the top-right of the keyboard and may also read your fingerprint. Other Macs can have the button on the back or underneath. The Mac turn-on lesson describes those locations.

Lessons that use this word

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