>>343002186
Cables wear out and the only place to get them is valve. Even if there were third party ones, they'd still be expensive. good news is that valve will give you a new cable if it's still in warranty. 
No new index coming. The index is still a formidably good headset. 

The only thing is that if you're not sure VR is for you; toe dipping is a lot cheaper with the cuckbook quest 2. You can play PC VR on it just fine, but you are cucked into facebook land. If you're reasonably confident VR is for you, the index is great.