Desktop cords could reach halfway to moon

Lay all the desktop cords 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 U.S. businesses losing more than 1.3 billion hours in labor annually. That's because the average survey respondent spends 7.3 minutes a day organizing 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 percent of people with 18 inches or less of cable spent more than five minutes a day organizing their desk. That compares with 41 percent 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 6 feet or more.

The survey also found that 37 percent of respondents rated their desktop "busy but organized," while 22 percent deemed it "chaotic." Of those who consider their desks "chaotic," 26 percent have more than 6 feet of cables, compared with 18 percent 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 percent of respondents said they would like a cordless mouse, while 37 percent 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.