Desktop chaos: PC cables reach halfway to the moon

Lay all the desktop cables in the United States end to end, and you could circle the earth four times or reach halfway to the moon, according to a study released this week by cordless mouse maker Logitech.

The study also suggests that cable "spaghetti" contributes to US businesses losing more than 1.3 billion hours in labour annually. That's because the average survey respondent spends 7.3 minutes a day organising their desktop, both untangling cords and tidying up generally, said Brenda Batenburg, market research manager for the Swiss company.

"It's cords and clutter," Batenburg said. "More cords equals more time cleaning your desk."

The online survey found that 26 per cent of people with 18 inches or less of cable spent more than five minutes a day organising their desk. That compares with 41 per cent of people with additional cable who spent more than five minutes a day.

The survey involved 1,000 internet users and was conducted by market research firm Greenfield Online. According to Logitech, the average Internet user has 41.1 inches of desktop cable, while nearly one in five has six feet or more.

The survey also found that 37 per cent of respondents rated their desktop "busy but organised," while 22 per cent deemed it "chaotic." Of those who consider their desks "chaotic," 26 per cent have more than six feet of cables, compared with 18 per cent of all respondents.

One in four respondents said they had damaged or soiled items on the desktop because of cable entanglement, or had to stop working because of tangled cords.

Not surprisingly, Logitech's survey found customers eager for wireless devices. Asked if they could change anything about their desktops, 44 per cent of respondents said they would like a cordless mouse, while 37 per cent wanted a cordless keyboard.

Logitech's products include internet video cameras, keyboards and interactive gaming devices. The company competes against companies including Microsoft and BenQ.

Ed Frauenheim writes for News.com