I got the new Mac mini mounted under the desk to save desktop space and I got the zip ties and such underneath to keep things tidy. The KVM works perfectly to keep the dual monitors, keyboard, mouse, audio interface and HX Stomp available to both the Mac and the old Windows machine.

The worst part of the whole situation is that I really overestimated my eyesight. Man, I can barely see up close in sunlight. Under the desk really sucks. There's not a flashlight bright enough.

I think I've got it all organized but, man, do I need better glasses.

Now come do mine.

I've got 3 laptops, a receiver, 3 displays (shared amongst the laptops using direct connect and switched through the receiver), 2 docks, 3 speakers (LCR), Apple TV and all with wired LAN. My "workspace" is a mess. A spaghetti of boxes and wires.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Now come do mine.

I've got 3 laptops, a receiver, 3 displays (shared amongst the laptops using direct connect and switched through the receiver), 2 docks, 3 speakers (LCR), Apple TV and all with wired LAN. My "workspace" is a mess. A spaghetti of boxes and wires.

Well, mine still has a bit of spaghetti but it's much better and I think it will stay in place when I put my feet under the desk (the wires aren't hanging to the ground anymore).

I've got a long power strip (industrial type, like a work bench) attached beneath my desk. I've got a cable tray that I was going to mount as well but haven't gotten around to it. Someday, when I get tired of the spaghetti....

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
The worst part of the whole situation is that I really overestimated my eyesight. Man, I can barely see up close in sunlight. Under the desk really sucks. There's not a flashlight bright enough.

I've taken to donning a Fenix headlamp for many such tasks. Working on the car, working on the furnace, working under the desk...headlamp. Trying to position a trouble light or some other type of flashlight just got to be too big of a PITA and with my presbyopia they just don't work well enough. The headlamp works great.

quote:

There's not a flashlight bright enough.

I spent a good deal of time under car dashboards, which are even tighter and darker than under a desk, and while lying on a door sill to boot. You need a headlamp for such work. Even if you have good eyesight, a small amount of magnification (1.25-1.5x) from a reading eyeglass helps. If you wear bifocal or progressive lens glasses, the close-up part is in the wrong place.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
Under the desk really sucks. There's not a flashlight bright enough. D

I can promise you there IS a flashlight bright enough. But, I hear ya about our aging eyes!

https://nitecorestore.com/coll...ong-throw-flashlight

I second the Fenix headlamp.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

If you wear bifocal or progressive lens glasses, the close-up part is in the wrong place.

I knew an optometrist who was a retired airline pilot. He designed lenses with a segment at the top for near-to-intermediate distance, for pilots who needed to be able to see the switches above the windshield.

I got sick of the tangle, so re-purposed an ammo shipping box. Helped a lot.


Wirebox by kpkina, on Flickr

To clean up the wires behind the tv, I used a table saw to cut a slit down the length of some pvc pipe, and then ran the wire through the pipe. It keeps all the excess nice and tidy.

For the Mac mini at least, those brackets that bolt to the back of your monitor help a lot.

For Pis and other small units, a DIN rail or two and appropriate mounting hardware can't be beat.

With all the crap I have hooked up to our TV, I pray ever day that everything keeps working. If I have to get back there I need two flashlights, a face mask, duct tape and goggles.

We have 2 desktops and 2, sometimes 3 laptops in the office on any given day. I mounted the slotted cable trays under both desks to manage cables. We both have 3 monitors with dual cabling to each. I keep it neat at install and do my best to control entropy over time.

I love the Streamlight Stinger Switchblade to illuminate the work area

https://www.amazon.com/Streaml...a-2281435180298&th=1

Cable raceway I used:
https://www.amazon.com/Profess...Y2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

I like simple. One 13” M3 MacBook, one iPhone 16 Pro.

Several Terminals open on each MacBook Space, but still simple.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
… If you wear bifocal or progressive lens glasses, the close-up part is in the wrong place.

I’ve not tried bifocals yet but progressive lenses don’t work for me. Been to 3 places so far, they all promise that it’s in the fitting and that they can make it work. So far no success.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
I like simple. One 13” M3 MacBook, one iPhone 16 Pro.

Several Terminals open on each MacBook Space, but still simple.

Yes, I agree with that. I also like simple. However, i switched from Mac to windows for a job and 18 years ago so I need to switch between the two machines until everything on the windows machine goes obsolete for me and then I’ll turn it into a server.