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You're kidding, right?
Too late for new technology? Gimme a break.

Current FireWire 800 drives can transfer data to an external drive at more than twice the speed of USB 2 and they don't need an external power supply. Give users a genuine choice and which one do you think they will pick?

I say "genuine" because Intel put USB on every motherboard, so it is "free" with every PC. To get FireWire you have to pay a few dollars more, so with PC margins as they are, most OEMs will not install it by default. That is why USB is the more common interface, not because users chose it.

Also, because of the ubiquity of USB, nearly all external FireWire devices have a USB 2 interface as well, and consequently also need an external power supply. So there is no cost saving for FireWire drives, hence they cost a little more too.

The pity is that Intel are resolute that they will not put FireWire on their motherboards. So consumers are stuck with the very much inferior USB 2 and need external power supplies for external devices too.

USB 2 is considerably slower than the original FireWire 400, it doesn't come close to FireWire 800 and it is totally outclassed by S3200. No doubt Intel will run out USB 3 at something slightly above the original FireWire 400 and claim it as the next big thing.

Ho hum.
Posted by: Fred Fredrickson   Posted on: 12/17/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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I think its too late  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/17/07
your right  Tigertank | 12/17/07
You mis-understand  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/17/07
Didn't misunderstand  Tigertank | 12/17/07
USB is perfect for printers, mice, keyboards, etc...  olePigeon | 12/17/07
Old School Thinking  TechRepublic@... | 12/17/07
It's not USB...  itpro_z | 12/17/07
Firewire 3200 is superior to eSATA also  Tigertank | 12/17/07
Slightly  itpro_z | 12/17/07
Hmmm.....  sdgreen42 | 12/17/07
he's not way wrong...  patibulo | 12/19/07
you're  ýlysdexia | 01/01/08
You're kidding, right?  Fred Fredrickson | 12/17/07
That is why USB is the more common interface  Me_too | 12/17/07
You must be dreaming  TrackStar1682 | 12/17/07
No lie, just bad implementation  bmerc | 12/18/07
Clueless again!  djchandler | 12/17/07
You're right. and USB 3.0 IF is already here  Prognosticator | 12/18/07
Message has been deleted.  ýlysdexia | 01/01/08
except in video and multimedia ...  msdead | 12/18/07
Yes and no  CobraA1 | 12/18/07
I tend to agree on this one  Linux Geek | 12/26/07
another batle of the 'standards'?  Linux Geek | 12/17/07
no....  doh123 | 12/17/07
FireWire has different applications  mlindl | 12/17/07
Powering devices...  itpro_z | 12/17/07
Powering devices  Tigertank | 12/17/07
power  merc2dogs` | 12/17/07
its, retard  ýlysdexia | 01/01/08
Depends on the application  itpro_z | 12/17/07
than  ýlysdexia | 01/01/08
Fast is not a speed.  ýlysdexia | 01/01/08
In case you haven't noticed ...  msdead | 12/18/07
RE: FireWire speeds set to quadruple  willykreim@... | 12/17/07
But Apple's DRM is better than Micro$uxs  NonZealot | 12/17/07
Are you kidding me?  boysum | 12/17/07
Just ignore him...  olePigeon | 12/17/07
Except he's right!  ajole | 12/17/07
I see what the problem is  NonZealot | 12/17/07
I don't know  boysum | 12/18/07
FireWire is pure DRM.  nix_hed | 12/30/07
YAY DRM!!!  nix_hed | 12/30/07
Great for studios!  davidr69 | 12/17/07
Firewire... "It's all you need!"  govgeek426 | 12/17/07
RE: FireWire speeds set to quadruple  drevman | 12/17/07
Digital Video transfer  sreiss@... | 12/17/07
USB 3 faster than Firewire S3200  wolfchen@... | 12/17/07
USB is "Powerless" in Comparison  Shazzalive | 12/17/07
No free power  madtechscientist | 12/17/07
No free power but ...  Steve4Fluff | 12/18/07
Convenience of Firewire  Shazzalive | 12/18/07
Not yet  Fred Fredrickson | 12/17/07
Drivers also play along.  brunommateus@... | 12/18/07
RE: FireWire speeds set to quadruple  bobmatch@... | 12/18/07
The market will decide...  Bellhop | 12/18/07
Ominous statement  deepee912 | 12/18/07
why is it ominous to protect copyrighted material?  Tigertank | 12/18/07
re: why is it ominous to protect copyrighted material  deepee912 | 12/18/07
Crazy  bcroner | 12/18/07
Drivers and faillure  isabherm@... | 12/20/07
Failure and Drivers: Is FireWire Nearing it's Final Demise?  Shazzalive | 12/20/07
FireWire fan cluibs  isabherm@... | 12/23/07
Awesome  John Musbach | 12/20/07
ehh...  ivanotter | 12/21/07
Arise USB - The Sun Sets on the Alternatives,  Shazzalive | 12/21/07
FireWire will survive...  nix_hed | 12/30/07
FireWire will survive... despite USB apologists  isabherm@... | 01/06/08
No way...  brent@... | 01/29/08

What do you think?

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