Computer Cable Chaos

Now that we are back home, (briefly), I need to get my hard drives set back up on my desk. I've been unconsciously avoiding this task.

Why? You innocently ask.

I have 6 hard drives. Each hard drive has a power cable that comes in two parts. You must match both pieces not only to each other but also to the appropriate hard drive. That's 12 pieces of cable. Some hard drives it is easy to see which cable goes with which drive. But two different brands have slightly different stem length and identical power converter boxes on the cables. Each piece actually fits into each brand hard drive, but one size looks like it fits better than the other one. Does it matter if I don't get exactly the right one in????? Perhaps it does, perhaps it does not. Remind me some day to look at the power numbers, watts, etc. But we're not done counting cables yet.

We've got 12 power cables. Now we've got to connect these hard drives to the computer. Each hard driive must have at least one cable - now we're up to 18 pieces of cable. The computer really only has one place to plug the cable into, so each hard drive must connect to another hard drive or a multi plug device. The multiplug thing is new. The old system required each drive to "piggy back" to the matching one and then over to the next pair. So now we're up to 24 pieces of wire. The computer must attach to a printer, add another pice of wire.

I've added an external monitor that also has to connect. We're up to 26 pieces of wire cable. The new firewire multiplug came in two pieces-a box and a power cord.

My normal laptop is in the shop. Henry has rigged me up a temporary computer set up. Add another computer box, another hard drive - MORE wires. Add at least 6 more cables. Now we've got 33 pieces of wire. The longest lines are several feet, the shortest one less than a foot.

Are you getting the picture of a desk top filled with cables??????? And of course you've got to have power strips, multiple power strips to power all this stuff.

Now, let's add to the confusion. I have a talent . . . . a real talent . . . . what is this talent you may ask. Give me a wire, any wire, organized wire or not organized wire, it does not matter. After it has been in my hands for any length of time, it will join forces with any other wires around to create endless knots. So now, . . . . . 33 pieces of wire, all near each other . . . .

Ok, let's think about the other power things in the office, shredder, TV, pencil sharpener, extra printer. It is a feng shui nightmare.

Can you guess? I don't like cables!