Don Y wrote:
On 2/22/2016 9:14 PM, Dan Espen wrote:
Don Y writes:

Hi Frank,

On 2/22/2016 5:39 PM, Frank wrote:

Certain things I quit doing because of arthritis and poorer vision.
Climbing on the roof is one and another doing extensive plumbing
under the sink or the like. Put a new cabin air filter in my car
last year and having to find the 10 or so screws to get out the
glove compartment and crawling under the dash to remove the
filter, I almost could not do whereas I had done it several times
in the past.

My office is set up as three "tables" in a large "U" shape.
All of my computers are located *under* the tables (on the
floor) with monitors, keyboards, mice and other I/O devices
cluttering the top.

This is great -- cuz it gives me that much more surface to
use for these devices, books, note pads, etc.

However, with each passing year, I find it harder to service
the machines! The machines are about 3 feet from anything that
connects to them (because the table is about 3 feet off the
floor!). So, there's not a lot of slack in the cords that
run up to the top of the table!

As a result, I can't really pull the machines out (forward) to
work on them -- the cables effectively lock them in place.
And, to get at the connections on the back of each means crawling
UNDER the tables and poking around behind them (without moving
them). Of course, that means crawling OVER any other equipment that
is located alongside! (other computers, printers, UPS's, etc.)

I don't think about any of this -- UNTIL I'm halfway under the
table wondering why my body no longer "bends that way"! :

Years ago I bought one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/IOCrest-Adjustable-Foldable-Flexible-SY-ACC65029/dp/B003BYRO7O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_147_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=31mYjtUeLbL&dpSr c=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0JK0893 7EBBSPGEKDVVB

http://tinyurl.com/hse5o7m

You have to leave enough slack in the wiring to be able to move
the stand.

Yes, the slack is the problem!

E.g., my two primary workstations are at the "inner corners" of the
"U"-shaped worksurface. But, each feeds the *three* monitors along
that bottom loop of the "U". So, the workstation on the left has to
feed monitors 1, 2, and 3 (left to right) over the span of about 4
feet. The workstation on the right feeds monitors 3, 2 and 1 (right
to left) over the same 4 foot span.
Monitor connections are about a foot above the level of the
worksurface and pulled slightly forward. Computers are ~2.5 feet below. So,
you've used the entire length of a 6 ft cable just to go "point-to-point"
from each machine to its monitors. Try to pull the computer out a foot
and you find your cable is short by that foot! :-/

And that ignores any other connections (SCSI, USB, serial, parallel,
power, network) that might be associated with the machine(s).


I bet you could find cheap extender cables at monoprice.com.