Why does Apple love firewire so much?

[iPhil]

It's faster, even FW400 is faster with large complex stuff (USB 2.0 only "bursts" ahead for a few moments then poops out).

The Usb 2.0 standard is only capable of handling 30 to 35 Mbps for short bursts.. FW400 will handle 35 to 40 MBps longer periods because one is the power that flows thru the cable.. FW800 is 45 to 90 MBps but pop up to 100 MBps when it needs to on fly ..

its not all that much more expensive than FW. and besides, i would be willing to pay and extra, what $10-$20?? FW is a lot better and more reliable, aslong as it works better than USB ill get it. thus why i choose osx over M$


so true. FW owns! i would choose it anyday. actually someone suggested FW flashdrives, thats an incredible idea!!!!

I was thinking of a FW card reader that's a size of thumb drive but it would use and current High capacity digital media cards, e.g. SDHC media cards..

 

[daveperk]

Because it works. Because it existed before USB 2. Because it is a standard in the Digital Video field.



Wrong. USB 2.0 is faster on paper (480 vs 400 MBs) but Firewire is almost twice as fast in real-world, Finder file transfer tests (Yes, I benchmarked it myself).

I'll drink to that.

I have drives on firewire and on USB, and when I try to work with HD video, the firewire one is fast enough and the USB one definitely is NOT.

Specs be damned, that firewire is better for big steady continuous transfers.

 

[7on]

Now that this has been bummed to the new year...

Macbook Air


No firewire.

 

[CalBoy]

Macbook Air


No firewire.

Which bums me out.

But I do understand why it was done.

 

[ccwilli3]

firewire has an overall much lower CPU utilization for doing the same functions as it's USB 2.0 competitor...

 

[DoFoT9]

im looking foreward to seeing how the new USB3.0 (5gbps) compares to FW800 and FW3000.

 

[maxrobertson]

Was reading one of my regular Mac magzines recently and there was a article stating that Apple is seriously considering discontinuing Firewire, can't remember the reasons, but i hope they don't i love firewire!

Don't worry, they won't. People still need a way to use iMovie, right . That's the only thing I've ever used it for, and I would be pissed if I couldn't use it anymore.

 

[DoFoT9]

Don't worry, they won't. People still need a way to use iMovie, right . That's the only thing I've ever used it for, and I would be pissed if I couldn't use it anymore.

yup yup yup yup 2nd that mate.

 

[imbored]

Hopefully we'll be seeing USB 3.0 within another year or so, I'm looking forward to that.

 

[DoFoT9]

Hopefully we'll be seeing USB 3.0 within another year or so, I'm looking forward to that.

how much do u reckon itl cost extra?? or will it cost about the same?

will it need a new interface, or a simple firmware upgrade?

 

[daveperk]

home amateur fW vs USB test

I took a big video file and put it on my FW400 and my USB drive, and then copied it back to the internal HD from each and timed it.

THe FW400 was almost three times as fast as the USB2.

Not sure why, but FW400 is way better in real world data moving than USB2 is, even though the specs might say otherwise.

Burst rate, top speed rate, really means little in everyday use. You hardly ever get that speed, and you never keep it. the more important number is the steady state rate, and clearly the USB2 480 can't keep up with the FW 400.

 

[zap2]

FW is much better then USB, like SO much better. Really missed FireWire 400 when I synced my 160Gb iPod up. ANd for iMovie or big back ups to external HDs

 

[DoFoT9]

I took a big video file and put it on my FW400 and my USB drive, and then copied it back to the internal HD from each and timed it.

THe FW400 was almost three times as fast as the USB2.

Not sure why, but FW400 is way better in real world data moving than USB2 is, even though the specs might say otherwise.

Burst rate, top speed rate, really means little in everyday use. You hardly ever get that speed, and you never keep it. the more important number is the steady state rate, and clearly the USB2 480 can't keep up with the FW 400.

FW400 is faster than USB2.0 mainly because USB2.0 needs a response from the computer/device that you are sending information to, and firewire doesnot.

if your transferring the same amount of data, USB2.0 while transfering one package, will need a response from the device to say that it has been successfully transmitted.

firewire does not need this response and has an upper hand in transferring data because it does not have to wait for that response..

thats my understanding of it anyway..