Regarding your desk and computer arrangement, we used to use a program called, I think, “mouses without borders”, so that we could run our pointer across platforms.
Ultimately, the IT folks did away with it because it violated the security requirements of the isolated network that we use to run the power grid. Basically, the network for the energy management system shall not communicate with corporate except through a very well-controlled path across multiple DMZ’s.
Sabanes-Oxley strikes again.