My toddler son is a rambunctious little button pusher.

Where there's an On button to be pressed, he's there pressing it.

Again and again and again. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off...

He's an equal opportunity button pusher, so it isn't just power buttons that receive his attention (although he does show a definite preference for power buttons, having figured out the international icon most are adorned with). He also patronizes volume controls (thankfully the speakers have automatic cutoff circuits above a certain power level), input selections, DVD tray eject/return buttons, reset buttons, and every other interface element that affords pushing.

There's a limited ability to reason or debate with a toddler, and my warnings about the peril such activities presents to the vulnerable little ICs seems to have limited effect.

Enclosing every device in protective cages just doesn't seem reasonable.

So I end up with toonies ($2 coins here in Canada) taped over the power button of televisions (it buys a bit of time), computers with the power buttons disabled and the reset buttons disconnected, and for other devices (e.g. stereos, DVD players, radios) it's just a constant state of vigilance, with us ready to physically intercede when he prepares for a button mashing attack.

Oh, for want of a simple control to disable the front panel on these devices. Ultimately most of them are software controlled now, so a simple boolean IsIgnoreFrontPanel would suffice, perhaps with a complex 7-simultaneous-pressed-buttons override to re-enable the front panel.

It would save a lot of these devices the electronic stress of being constantly cycled.

On the same vein, I'd love for a "Microsoft Bob" style simplified interface for my preschooler daughter's PC. Even with the limited potential damage possible with the limited account she uses, context menus and unintended shortcuts are never intentional, and are always just a nuisance.