Green light coming out of under Al imac!

[bluedoggiant]

well, i always keep my imac in sleep when im not using it, so last night, i rolled over in bed, towards my imac, and so this green light, i thought it was coming from my belkin usb hub, but that turns off if the computer is in sleep or shut down, so i went to investigate in the dark, even the slightest light in the room would make it impossible to see the light, so it took me ages to arrange the wires, pull my imac out of the enclosed desk, tilt it back as far as i can. Without putting the imac in any position, i nearly broke my neck trying to see through the speaker whole, well, the left side of the right speaker, had the light coming through it, apparently the ram slot cover has holes to the right of it for light to shine through, and where the screw is, 5 perfectly lined up laser small holes that the green light shown through. When i looked through the speaker whole, it was coming from the RAM sticks, i have apple installed RAM, i didnt open the RAM slot though, too late at night for me to think. I guess the RAM was lighting green because the RAM was on, after all, in sleep mode, the RAM is the only thing working

has anyone noticed this?? this is my first time ever since i got this imac a month ago, ive never seen a green light under my imac, out of the many times ive looked at it in the dark, from my bed ...scary, a haunted imac

 

[timothyjay2004]

Can't say this with complete certainty, but, with my parent's Windows computers, there is a green light on the motherboard/logic board. I think that they are there to let a tech etc. know that the board is "Hot", meaning powered on. I don't think it is anything to worry about.

 

[jaw04005]

That's normal. I have a green light also, and mine is actually bright enough to project down on my aluminum foot.

Clearly, this is just a check light on this particular Intel motherboard.

 

[chadrob30]

Agreed. Holy cow, someone else from Arkansas on here!

 

[bluedoggiant]

Agreed. Holy cow, someone else from Arkansas on here!

im not suprised

 

[RevToTheRedline]

Logic board light.

 

[bluedoggiant]

Logic board light.

i think its the RAM because its coming from the same place as it

 

[pkoch1]

i think its the RAM because its coming from the same place as it

RAM connects to the logic board

 

[MacNerd12]

Any PC builder knows it is the green lights on the motherboard.

 

[chocolate632]

I also noticed this light when i got up at night to write something. Its the littlest thing so it doesn't bother me.

 

[iMpathetic]

Any PC builder knows it is the green lights on the motherboard.

lol. any PC builder would most likely not be on this forum!

 

[awm037]

This happens on mine also. It might just be a small system light. I shut mine down at night, and it still comes on. It also stays on when the iMac is awake.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

There's your sleep light for those of you complaining about it missing from the Alu iMac!

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

Are you sure it's not Plutonium being smuggled into the US from Iran in small portions - so as to escape detection?

During the Keynote - when you're not paying any attention, and instead drooling over whatever shiny object that Jobs is waving in front or your eyes - the Libyans are going to sneak into your homes, and collect it.

You've been warned.

 

[gorby]

Are you sure it's not Plutonium being smuggled into the US from Iran in small portions - so as to escape detection?

 

[PrinceDraven]

Great Scott!

 

[Jasonbot]

The infamous light:

*as pictured on my White Intel iMac

 

[boris.jones]

No "ON" indicator on the new 24" allumium imac

What really bothers me is when I switch on the imac there is no click! and once its on theres no way of knowing that its on or not until the screen pops alive + when mine is alseep I cant see any indicator - so basically I dont know whether Ive managed to engage the on switch and at other times whether its on or off!

I want an indicater! should have made the apple logo glow!! or at least some indication of wether the machine is on or not

Otherwise - quite loving this work of art imac! an absolute beaut

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

If you were brave - you could buy yourself a white LED, a 400 ohm resistor, and some 22ga wire. For 3 dollars.

Crack open your imac - and connect the LED to one of your USB ports, and aim the LED at your Apple logo. (I believe even the new ones - the logo is also the IR receiver window - so should be translucent.) You could always just aim it anywhere else visible.

I thought about using the hard drive or fans to power the led - but if your hard drive spins down for "sleep mode" - it'll go out with it. Using a fan - ditto sleep mode, and it'll vary in intensity, depending on how fast your fan is spinning.

But if your keyboard or mouse have the ability to wake the mac from sleep - then the USB hub is always powered (until you actually shut down)

So yeah - if you're as bored as I am writing this post - give it a whirl. It would work.

I won't be doing so myself, as I have a white iMac.

 

[bluedoggiant]

If you were brave - you could buy yourself a white LED, a 400 ohm resistor, and some 22ga wire. For 3 dollars.

Crack open your imac - and connect the LED to one of your USB ports, and aim the LED at your Apple logo. (I believe even the new ones - the logo is also the IR receiver window - so should be translucent.) You could always just aim it anywhere else visible.

I thought about using the hard drive or fans to power the led - but if your hard drive spins down for "sleep mode" - it'll go out with it. Using a fan - ditto sleep mode, and it'll vary in intensity, depending on how fast your fan is spinning.

But if your keyboard or mouse have the ability to wake the mac from sleep - then the USB hub is always powered (until you actually shut down)

So yeah - if you're as bored as I am writing this post - give it a whirl. It would work.

I won't be doing so myself, as I have a white iMac.

WOW!!! that sounds cool, never thought the apple logo was the IR.

here is pic from Tom Sawers opening of the imac:

here is a pic i just took now, i shined a maglite flashlight on it to show details:

here is my avatar enlarged, to this a while ago cuz i was bored:

just to see the details of the logo.

click to enlarge for more details

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

It might not be the IR window on the new iMacs - but it definitely was on the white ones. (that had the IR)

What I don't understand - is why Apple just doesn't use the isight as the ir receiver? It can pick up IR just fine.

Ditto that fact for an ambient light-detector. (to automatically adjust backlight brightness across different lighting conditions) That would be especially great in case of a laptop. I mean, it's mounted above the LCD - so if the LCD is bleaching out due to bright outside light - it'll be striking the camera at the same time - and could automatically increase the backlight.

Matter of a fact - I'd find it hard to swallow if they did NOT.

MB and MBP owners - do they have this function already?

If not, Apple get off your @$$. That's smart - you're supposed to be smart - do it.

Pic of my Apple remote aiming at my isight.

 

[bluedoggiant]

It might not be the IR window on the new iMacs - but it definitely was on the white ones. (that had the IR)

What I don't understand - is why Apple just doesn't use the isight as the ir receiver? It can pick up IR just fine.

Ditto that fact for an ambient light-detector. (to automatically adjust backlight brightness across different lighting conditions) That would be especially great in case of a laptop. I mean, it's mounted above the LCD - so if the LCD is bleaching out due to bright outside light - it'll be striking the camera at the same time - and could automatically increase the backlight.

Matter of a fact - I'd find it hard to swallow if they did NOT.

MB and MBP owners - do they have this function already?

If not, Apple get off your @$$. That's smart - you're supposed to be smart - do it.

Pic of my Apple remote aiming at my isight.

I was going to point out that light, you cant see it unless you see it in a mirror or photo, but not with the human eye, do you know why?

and I'm not sure what you are trying to say, but how is the apple symbol on the white imacs the IR???? its made of plastic!!!

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

I was going to point out that light, you cant see it unless you see it in a mirror or photo, but not with the human eye, do you know why?

and I'm not sure what you are trying to say, but how is the apple symbol on the white imacs the IR???? its made of plastic!!!

It's the "window" for the IR receiver. (it's actually opaque - but infrared passes through it with ease - metal or thick paint on the other hand - not quite as well)

You can't see the light because it's near-IR - which is below what the human eye responds to. (much like you can't really see UV - just things that fluoresce and react under UV)

So in spite of appearing "white-blue" in the camera - it's actually very deep red. You CAN see a TINY bit of it if it's very dark out and you look closely. Though it's not actually IR - but some of the off-peak "noise" that's being emitted. (LEDs have a centroid wavelength-or color-, in this case, IR, but they do also produce some light above and below their centroid - in this case, a barely visible red)

Don't get too ambitious in trying to see it in person, as in spite of not being able to see the light - it IS there, and may be bright enough to cause discomfort - inspite of the fact you won't have a "blink response" form it - because you can't "see" it....

If that makes ANY sense at al... I never claimed to be any good at putting thoughts into words.

 

[bluedoggiant]

It's the "window" for the IR receiver. (it's actually opaque - but infrared passes through it with ease - metal or thick paint on the other hand - not quite as well)

You can't see the light because it's near-IR - which is below what the human eye responds to. (much like you can't really see UV - just things that fluoresce and react under UV)

So in spite of appearing "white-blue" in the camera - it's actually very deep red. You CAN see a TINY bit of it if it's very dark out and you look closely. Though it's not actually IR - but some of the off-peak "noise" that's being emitted. (LEDs have a centroid wavelength-or color-, in this case, IR, but they do also produce some light above and below their centroid - in this case, a barely visible red)

Don't get too ambitious in trying to see it in person, as in spite of not being able to see the light - it IS there, and may be bright enough to cause discomfort - inspite of the fact you won't have a "blink response" form it - because you can't "see" it....

If that makes ANY sense at al... I never claimed to be any good at putting thoughts into words.

still not seeing why the grey apple symbol on the white imac is the IR.

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

It is, I don't know how else to explain it. If you have access to a white imac - put your hand in front of the Apple symbol - and use the front row remote - it won't work that well - if at all.

The IRda is on the motherboard itself - directly above the ram - the grey Apple is merely the window - likely a clever design choice - as opposed to a dark plastic "dot" or hole they'd need otherwise.