Often, the power button has an integrated LED that lights up to signal that the PC is running. It can take various sizes and shapes, depending on how it fits the design or is practical. Unlike the interfaces, for instance, the appearance of the power button is not specified. Depending on the settings in the software, the Power Button can also be used to put the running PC into hibernation. Since this can cause software problems, we should only do this in an emergency.

Only for hard reset during operation – for example if the PC hangs – it is still needed. Whereas in the past, at Windows 95 and such, we had to wait a few minutes until the PC shut down and could be switched off, this now happens automatically. In computers, such as our Mini-PCs, the functionality is now limited to switching on. The power button is, as the name implies, a switch that can be used to switch electrical appliances on and off.