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View Full Version : Is Firewire external drive better for videos/photos?



Hello.there
Nov 2, 2007, 07:30 PM
Hello all,

I just bought an Iomega 500GB USB2 external drive to work with Time Machine (if my iMac ever arrives :rolleyes:) but would consider also buying a firewire external if it's true that it's a better option to back up videos and photos - is this true? I'm hopelessly confused, I keep reading conflicting advice on this. Can anyone give me a definitive answer?!

Thanks.


basesloaded190
Nov 2, 2007, 07:48 PM
from what i know about firewire and usb, the only thing that you are going to notice is that fw 800 is going to faster transfering than a usb 2 would.
Hello.there
Nov 2, 2007, 08:05 PM
from what i know about firewire and usb, the only thing that you are going to notice is that fw 800 is going to faster transfering than a usb 2 would.

Thanks for that. The speed of the transfer isn't too important to me, just so long as photos and videos are backed up safely.

If you were recommending a firewire external drive would any of these (http://www.pixmania.com/ie/uk/r/firewire-external/0_0_0?t=3_0&u=30_10) take your fancy??
extraextra
Nov 2, 2007, 08:08 PM
I don't think there's much difference (if any) in how "safe" either Firewire/USB are. Most people use Firewire because it's waay faster than USB, and very useful when you want to back up a lot of data.
elppa
Nov 2, 2007, 08:18 PM
from what i know about firewire and usb, the only thing that you are going to notice is that fw 800 is going to faster transfering than a usb 2 would.

FW 400 is faster than USB 2.0 (480 mbps).

The reason is quite simple. Firewire sends a continuous stream of data, whilst USB only sends short bursts at a time.

Baring that in mind, a FW 800 drive is orders of magnitude faster than any USB option.

That said, in terms of reliability, there is no difference and USB devices can be acquired for cheaper.

To answer the original post, my advice would be to stick with your current drive.
basesloaded190
Nov 3, 2007, 07:57 PM
Thanks for that. The speed of the transfer isn't too important to me, just so long as photos and videos are backed up safely.

If you were recommending a firewire external drive would any of these (http://www.pixmania.com/ie/uk/r/firewire-external/0_0_0?t=3_0&u=30_10) take your fancy??

i just bought one of these: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/400+USB2/
and i love it. highly recomended