Newbie help: how to switch off a computer

[Philippe Landau]

> -void- wrote:
>> So when you get back from your ride you just turn the key and step off 
>> the bike?
>>
>> Something tells me you first bring it to a complete stop and you also
>> put the kickstand down or whatever you use to keep the bike from
>> pitching to the ground on its side.
> 
> This is part of the ride. Like closing an application before shutdown :-)
this of course is not necessary.
it's a precondition of a beautiful operating system
that you can always exit everything painlessly.

>> What if they hit the switch on the back of the unit on the power
>> supply?  Or perhaps they have all their stuff on a power strip so they
>> can "turn everything off" in one shot.  "yep, done reading this
>> email... lemme just turn off my 'puter.  Hmmm I hope that defrag thing
>> wasn't important".
> 
> The hardware shall be able to handle this. I just want to turn off my box.

there is a confusion going on here:

most computers have a power switch on the front side,
which is just closing an electric circuit on the motherboard
initiating power-down procedures when pressed while running.

and there is an electric power switch usually on the
power supply/transformer which just cuts off electricity.
(in some models the fan of the power supply will continue running
for a few minutes and then shut down too.)
this switch should only be turned off when power unit
is already on standby, or as a last resort.

good we have both options, don't you think ?

kind regards     philippe