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FireWIre- what is it used for anyway?

R

riz78612

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 29, 2007
119
0
Im thinking of getting a Macbook.

Majority of people seem dissapointed coz there isnt no firewire.

What could you do with a firewire anyway. Want to see if its ok to have a Macbook WITHOUT firewire.

FireWIre- what is it used for anyway?
 
Thread title should've been ''Firewire: What is it good for?''

Anyways, FireWire is mostly used with camcorders, external hard drives and music equipment. IF you absolutely need a firewire input, you can always buy an Ethernet to Firewire adapter.
 
+1. I suspect for a lot of buyers, especially first time, it's something you're not likely to need.

For a lot of existing users, they have firewire hard drives, videocams, iPods, iSight, and other devices. The first two are the big two.
 
Aztec said:
Thread title should've been ''Firewire: What is it good for?''

Anyways, FireWire is mostly used with camcorders, external hard drives and music equipment. IF you absolutely need a firewire input, you can always buy an Ethernet to Firewire adapter.
Click to expand...

Please, tell me where I can buy one and how it works and I will believe you ;)
 
I have a large external HD that is firewire. Granted it is connected to my iMac and I only use it sometimes. The big one for me is my Camera. I shoot in raw with my DSLR and use a Fireware card reader. These pictures are 14mb each and when I fill up a 4gb card (297 pictures) it takes over an hour to transfer with USB. The firewire card reader will move them in 20 minutes or so and wont kill my camera's battery. I only use it on my Macbook when I travel so I am one of those torn between getting a new Macbook and deal with USB or getting a refurb Macbook Pro and get a bigger screen plus a few extras. I'd love a new Pro, but at the moment I can not swing it.
 
Basically, FW is alpha and omega for any creative person. Every serious audio interface is FW. Most semi-pro video equipment is FW. Not to mention that there's a bunch of consumer stuff that runs a hell of a lot better on FW than on USB.

... and are the claims of an FW to Ethernet-adapter even real? I'm 99% sure it's complete bogus. Yes, the FW standard is compatible with transfer over TP, and therefore has adaptors from FW to RJ45, but that has nothing to do with using FW with a NIC. Think about it logically for a second. How is a NIC going to translate FW signals? And even if you somehow got it to accept some sort of wrapper protocol from the audio interface, how would software react to getting that kind of output from a NIC? Not to mention DC through TP, you wouldn't be able to use any kind of device that needs power through the FW.

No, unless someone shows me some hard facts on this, I'm calling it complete and utter bogus. And who even cares. Nobody is going to use adapters with professional audio equipment, it would add latency. The same with video. Just forget about it. Apple screwed up royally. That's just how it is.
 
In the PC world they call it by it standard name, instead of the Apple marketing name: IEEE 1394

Sony calls it i.LINK
 
Pretend you need to record 10+ streams of audio at 24/96 in a mission critical situation (live performace, recording of your band etc). With firewire and a nice external 10+ I/O sound card, this is no problem.

Try doing that on a USB 2.0 connection and see how it turns out, especially if you are running effects on those channels.

Pretend you and your music buddies for the last 6 years have depended on the stability and quality of firewire in audio applications. Many people have portable DAWs with external HDD's that store their sound libraries etc. If you are using BFD2 your firewire HDD handles the streaming audio perfectly. Try using a USB 2.0 HDD for audio work.

It's not like we can just switch over or sell our gear for USB stuff. It ****ing sucks compared to firewire. Also it's not bus powered, so mobile giging and recording now requires you to bring an AC adapter for your external devices, sometimes in the field, there is no plug-in to be found. Cumbersome and sometimes not even an option.

Most artists are poor as **** and were looking forward to a nice, sturdy as hell 13" aluminum Macbook to continue using their high quality gear. Now they need to buy the Macbook Pro and on top of that they have lost a port.
 
Basically, if it's your first computer you won't have a need for it.. everything works on USB 2.0 these days anyways. It seems to me the more and more that I read these forums that Firewire is essentially just something for people to complain about. I'm willing to bet 95% of the people complaining about having no Firewire would never have used it if there was a port.
 
RelievedSimplet said:
Basically, if it's your first computer you won't have a need for it.. everything works on USB 2.0 these days anyways. It seems to me the more and more that I read these forums that Firewire is essentially just something for people to complain about. I'm willing to bet 95% of the people complaining about having no Firewire would never have used it if there was a port.
Click to expand...

I don't even know how to respond to this. You're just incredible.
 
Drumjim85 said:
+1

no adapters exist, and apple hasnt supported them (the non existent adapters)
Click to expand...

Well as far as adapters not existing I have been able to find this:
21203185-177x150-0-0_Trendware+TC+NTUF+Trendware+USB+Firewire+adapter+f.jpg


link here

now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it will work, and haven't been able to find any information on it even at Trendware's website so maybe it's not what I think it is at all but it appears to be a FW/USB adapter that plugs into an ethernet connection
 
MasterNile said:
Well as far as adapters not existing I have been able to find this:
21203185-177x150-0-0_Trendware+TC+NTUF+Trendware+USB+Firewire+adapter+f.jpg


link here

now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it will work, and haven't been able to find any information on it even at Trendware's website so maybe it's not what I think it is at all but it appears to be a FW/USB adapter that plugs into an ethernet connection
Click to expand...

This has been discussed hundreds of times on here the last few days. Those won't work. An adapter can't fix what Apple didn't put in the laptop. An adapter is only good if it is compatible with your system. FW isn't compatible with the new Macbook.
 
cube said:
In the PC world they call it by it standard name, instead of the Apple marketing name: IEEE 1394

Sony calls it i.LINK
Click to expand...

Firewire is the original name, as Apple is the primary patent holder, and they named it. 1394 is the numeric designation applied by IEEE when it was submitted for standards designation, like Ethernet falls under the 802 designation (10 points if you you know why it's 802 without using Wikipedia).

USB is also a "marketing" term, if you think about it.
 
hogfaninga said:
This has been discussed hundreds of times on here the last few days. Those won't work. An adapter can't fix what Apple didn't put in the laptop. An adapter is only good if it is compatible with your system. FW isn't compatible with the new Macbook.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I wasn't aware of that, but none the less my post stated that I had no idea if it worked or not, I was just disagreeing with the statement that the adapters were non-existent, and I'm sorry I'm a little slow but I've been away from MR because my internet was actually cut off on Tues morning :mad: (had to use an unsecured wifi signal to keep up with the event) and just got it reconnected yesterday
 
MasterNile said:
Sorry, I wasn't aware of that, but none the less my post stated that I had no idea if it worked or not, I was just disagreeing with the statement that the adapters were non-existent, and I'm sorry I'm a little slow but I've been away from MR because my internet was actually cut off on Tues morning :mad: (had to use an unsecured wifi signal to keep up with the event) and just got it reconnected yesterday
Click to expand...

No need to say sorry. Good thought though. Unfortunately it just won't work.
 
hogfaninga said:
No need to say sorry. Good thought though. Unfortunately it just won't work.
Click to expand...

So from what I understand from your previous post is that there is no way for even Apple to create some kind of adapter to allow FW on the new MBs? (sorry don't know too much about the technical aspects of ports and what not)
 
I bet Firewire will be added in the next Rev

The old MacBook Pro shipped without FireWire 800 for a short while before it was added back.

I've done lots of testing with USB and Firewire drives. FW400 is about 40-60% faster than USB 2.0.

ALL Analog-to-DV Converters use Firewire. Audio and Video go in, FireWire comes out.
You CAN NOT Transfer ANY type of Video Tape (VHS, DV etc.) without Firewire.

Thousands of computer peripherals use Firewire, with more coming out all the time.

Firewire is also used for target disk mode, which is essential for one of the Mac's coolest features: the Migration Assistant.

The white Macbook has Firewire.

http://www.apple.com/macbook/white/
 
hogfaninga said:
This has been discussed hundreds of times on here the last few days. Those won't work. An adapter can't fix what Apple didn't put in the laptop. An adapter is only good if it is compatible with your system. FW isn't compatible with the new Macbook.
Click to expand...

well... ermm... actually the new macbooks supports firewire, it doesn't have to exist in the hardware but in the system drivers, you can connect that "adapter" and you can be 95% sure that it will work.


btw... I'm a pro user and i have to say I'm not happy for the lack of FW ports on new macbooks, just need to think about all the people who invest their money in FW400 devices, they now will be forced to get a macbook pro to use them, in case they need to replace their old mac for a new one... remember, not all the people who get a macbook are looking for "better prices", most of them looks for portability, some professional users doesn't need killing graphics or a bigger screen, they just need a good processor in a little space.


FW has become a standard in audio and video business, taking FW out of the game in any apple computer it's like committing suicide...


I remember when the first macbook pro came out, steve jobs justified the lack of FW800 port with "It have Front Row"... now he says "Aluminum enclosure and back light keyboard"
 
Carlos970 said:
well... ermm... actually the new macbooks supports firewire, it doesn't have to exist in the hardware but in the system drivers, you can connect that "adapter" and you can be 95% sure that it will work.
Click to expand...

Obviously you don't have even the slightest idea about how computer technology works.
 
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