Its not so much as a system is still running, but likely a small chip that's just looking for input from the switches or lid sensor from the MacBook. Basically every key has become the power button. So the OS is still shut down, but the BIOS receives the power on signal from any input.
Wasn't that button a power button at one time? If so, did Apple merely add Touch ID features to a button that already was a power button?
It used to have a power symbol on it.
Yeah, I kind of hate that in principle, but in practice it just doesn't affect me. If I want my Mac powered off fully (which is rare), I'm in all likelihood also going to close the lid to store it. The rest of the time the thing is just sleeping.
Good lord. This complaint is just so tired and off-base. Apple doesn't decide on the library of emojis. If the Unicode Consortium came up with new ones and Apple didn't implement them, you'd start seeing blank boxes or something when receiving said emojis from other systems. They're simply keeping up with an existing cross-platform standard. You might as well complain about support for color profiles or something.
Have a look at Microsoft all of their new keyboards include a button for emojis!
I prefer to clean mine when it’s on, perhaps surprisingly.
That's not how it works – at least not unless you consider a small current being delivered to each key as "the system is running". This is just part of the hardware of new Macs: The same way the Power button can turn on the machine when it's actually off, so can any keyboard key if the wiring in the hardware is appropriate. You can just imagine that while the machine is off, a small switch will route the keyboard keys' signal to the same unit that deals with the power buttons signal.
I have several family members with Apple Silicon MacBooks. And because most of them just close the lid and never really turn it off and shut it down, they forget that the Touch ID key also works as a power button, and that going to the "Apple menu" and choosing "Shut Down" is even a thing.
It’s not notably harmful, that is, unless you leave the battery in a very low charge state for weeks or months. Although, waiting for the battery to be sufficiently depleted to cause an auto-shutdown is probably the opposite of convenient for most users.
My thought is Apple only references it as a power button for troubleshooting purposes. For example, the first words from the MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) Quick Start guide:
Apple said:
Apparently, the nvram setting only disables the auto boot on display open/lift and when connected to external power. However, a key or trackpad press supposedly still initiates auto boot. That is, unless you can demonstrate otherwise.
I beg to differ. The trackpad also turns the machine on and this trackpad is not a mechanical button - try pressing it with a small wooden dowel and you'll see that it doesn't actually move. The trackpad is a type of capacitive surface and only reacts when something changes the electrical conductivity of the surface. Once it is touched the haptic engine engages to make it feel and act like a mechanical button. This implies that something is still running to be able to know that the capacitive nature of the trackpad has changed.
Just because something "works for you", or makes sense to you doesn't mean it's good for everyone. That way of thinking is exactly why this situation exists.. because this whole thing made sense to Apple. Newsflash: there are other people on planet earth besides you.
