Anyone else prefer in-line power bricks over the standard wall-warts?

I used to get realy annoyed with those wall warts untill I started using those 6-inch extension cords people call "power strip liberators." I picked up a ten-pack of them from a local hardware shop for my server rack, and they solved the overlapping issue instantly. The biggest reason manufacturers stick with the brick-at-the-wall design is honestly just cost. Those in-line bricks, like the ones you see on a laptop charger or a high-end Dell monitor, require two seprate cords and extra safety certifications for the detachable AC side.

For my desktop setup, I actualy prefer the wall bricks beacuse I don't have alot of floor space behind the desk. When you have an in-line brick, you've got this heavy plastic block sitting on the floor or dangling mid-air, wich adds a lot of physical strain to the connection points. I’ve had the thin DC tips on my Netgear router snap because the in-line brick was pulling too hard. Keeping the weight at the wall keeps the cable management a bit cleaner if you have a way to space out the outlets. I ended up switching to a Tripp Lite power strip with wide-spaced outlets specifically designed for transformers, and it's been a lot better than the standard tight rows.

I actualy prefer the wall-mounted bricks over the in-line ones because they keep the mess off the floor. Whenever I have a device with an in-line transformer, like my old Dell monitor or an older Xbox, the brick always ends up getting kicked around or gathering dust bunnies in a spot I can't reach. It makes the cable mess behind my entertainment center way harder to manage when there’s a heavy plastic box sitting mid-run.

I think the better solution isn't adding more short cords, wich just adds more points of failure. I switched my setup to a Belkin PivotPlug and a few wider-spaced strips from Tripp Lite. The PivotPlug has sockets that rotate ninety degrees, so I can just flip the wide bricks out to the side. It keeps everything tight against the wall and lets me use every single outlet without the extra dangling bits. Also, those in-line bricks usually require a seperate C13 or C7 power cord. That’s just one more connection that can wiggle loose behind a heavy TV stand. For my router and speakers, I’d rather have the weight secured right at the outlet where it isn’t putting strain on the device's barrel jack.

Back in the day, we didn't have half these headaches because the transformer was ussually built right into the chassis of the radio or amp. You just had a simple cord and a polarized plug. Nowadays, these 'wall warts' are just cheap switching power supplies. If you're tired of them hogging space, I usually just mount a piece of 1x4 wood back there and screw down a row of surface-mount single outlets spaced about four inches apart. Hardwire it properly and you'll never fight for space again. It’s a lot sturdier than those flimsy plastic strips anyway.

Spot on about the cost of extra certifications for the detachable cords. Another little detail people miss is that those wall-mount units are ussually class II double-insulated, wich simplifies the grounding requirements for the manufacturer. If they switch to an in-line brick with a three-prong C13 cable, the internal shielding and grounding design gets more complex and expensive. I’ve found that even with the extra bulk, the wall-mounts are technically more efficient becuase you aren't losing as much voltage over a long DC lead before it hits your device.