Intel Macs - More USB, Still with Firewire?

[MacRumors]

MacOSXRumors claims that despite previous rumors that Apple's Intel laptops may lose their Firewire connections, Apple is expected to keep at least one Firewire port on the upcoming Intel Macs.

Instead, Apple may be increasing the number of USB connectors to the upcoming machines, but will retain at least one Firewire port.

 

[Lacero]

Of course!

Firewire is still required to connect with digital camcorders and external firewire drives! Pro mobile video editors would storm Apple HQ if they decided to drop firewire support from Intel laptops.

If the talk is about dropping FW from the iBook, then I guess that would be ok.

 

[rspeaker]

I'm no pro user, but Firewire... the only reason I care about it is because Apple's really fought hard for it. They've already stopped shipping iPods with Firewire cables, and if money allows for one of the new iMacs with built-in iSight, well, I won't need Firewire anymore. I say it's a shame; it kept Apple a little different. But, for the consumer line, it doesn't seem to make too much sense to keep it around. But I bet they will, if only one port.

 

[ZildjianKX]

What about "Firewire Target Disk Mode?" That is like the coolest thing... unless they make it work with USB, unless it already does.

 

[plastique45]

1- Macosxrumors.com just make up stuff as they go. Stop reprinting what they write.

2- 1 Firewire port is what's currently offered on the PowerBook, this is nothing new. One of FireWire's greatest asset is that you need only 1 port as all devices are hub-able.

3- FireWire is NECESSARY. Without it, no video editing (err, iMovie, Final Cutm hello? Apple is king here!). Also, you can boot off of a FireWire drive, you can connect 2 Macs in target disk mode to transfer file in a super easy way (that's what Apple use in Tiger when you launch a new Mac for the first time!).

Also, it's despite what the on paper numbers claimed FW400 is faster than USB2.0, to say nothing of FW800 which allows you to run uncompressed HD from an external drive (1 stream) in real time!

All these things make FireWire far.... FAR superior to USB2.

 

[mulletman13]

D'oh, I hope they have a FireWire port, such a better technology there, and besides, it has a better name

One FW800 port would be excellent though ... on the Pro line, but FW400 would be just fine on a consumer computer.

 

[After G]

If the pro computers only come with FW800, I hope they include a downconverter to FW400. I have a bunch of FW400 devices and no FW800 devices. Maybe they'll have both, which is even more awesome.

 

[Bastich]

And don't forget about all those Firewire iPods still floating around out there. Remember those? If thousands of people bought a brand new MacIntel only to find out it's incompatible with their iPod, there would be hell to pay. No, Apple will have to wait a couple years yet before pulling the old forced-upgrade trick.

 

[Loge]

2- 1 Firewire port is what's currently offered on the PowerBook, this is nothing new. One of FireWire's greatest asset is that you need only 1 port as all devices are hub-able.

Current Powerbooks have two Firewire ports, one 400 and one 800. I hope that this continues on the Intel line.

 

[Voidness]

If the talk is about dropping FW from the iBook, then I guess that would be ok.

How is that ok? You don't need to be a pro user to need Firewire. iMovie needs Firewire, it ships on all Macs, and is consumer oriented.

 

[kenzbud]

They better keep Firewire.. My Lacie devices all use Firewire.... I prefer Firewire over USB 2.0

 

[rockandrule]

What are you people talking about? Pros have more than one FireWire port on them to begin with! Apple won't discontinue FireWire. The Movie industry just reconfirmed it's usage. Apple has put too much into FireWire to get rid of it. Stop fretting about such an asinine idea.

 

[Bad Beaver]

What are you people talking about? Pros have more than one FireWire port on them to begin with! Apple won't discontinue FireWire. The Movie industry just reconfirmed it's usage. Apple has put too much into FireWire to get rid of it. Stop fretting about such an asinine idea.

Thanks, I can't hear about this anymore

 

[shadowmoses]

Im sure all mac's will retain firewire in spite of intel, i mean what is the point of dropping firewire its of no benefit to either apple or the consumer, they should at least keep 1 firewire slot on every new intel mac,

Shadow

 

[johnnyjibbs]

The more I think about it, the more I think this is complete tosh. I mean, with iMovie and iChat needing Firewire to work (iChat requires Firewire for video out of the box) and the iSight only working via Firewire, dropping Firewire would be like first annoucning the G5 and then making the next OS upgrade G5-only. It simply doesn't make sense.

We all know that Firewire is much better than USB2. Unfrotunately, USB2 is the one that has been fully embraced.

 

[joecool85]

w00t!!!

This is the best! Good news(rumor anyway) for me to wake up to.

 

[840quadra]

w00t!!!

This is the best! Good news(rumor anyway) for me to wake up to.

I am with joecool85 on that as well , except I am going to bed with this knowledge

 

[LimeiBook86]

Firewire is still required to connect with digital camcorders and external firewire drives! Pro mobile video editors would storm Apple HQ if they decided to drop firewire support from Intel laptops.

Exactly! Your 100% correct, if Apple dropped FireWire in either some or all of their models it would be like shooting themselves in the foot. This is the last thing they need right now, and I don't think we'll have to worry about this...although...we can never be too sure unfortunately.

 

[Peace]

I dont know WHO first came up with the idea that Apple was ending Firewire.Thats about the dumbest thing out..
iSight is firewire.Almost ALL external HD's are firewire.Almost ALL Camcorders are firewire..
If Apple stopped putting firewire in ANY machine it would be the most idiotic move EVER.
Give Apple some credit and stop believing all this stuff about them ending firewire..

 

[prismfinder]

What about Networking?

My biggest concern is losing IP over Firewire, which I use everyday to connect my Powerbook to the gigabit connection at work through my G5. Since I have only one Gigabit jack in my office, I share my Internet connection over Firewire 800, which is pretty sweet.

 

[Lacero]

This story really should be on Page 3.

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

 

[revenuee]

one firewire is not enough

i like having my drives and devices running on one bus and my video camera running on the other -- it ensures no dropped frames for me.

also ... firewire ip is amazing ... much less expensive then gigabit ethernet and a great alternative for offices that don't have the infrastructure set up, and the IT person couldn't administer a toaster so talking to them about it is useless

 

[Cinch]

Exactly! Your 100% correct, if Apple dropped FireWire in either some or all of their models it would be like shooting themselves in the foot. This is the last thing they need right now, and I don't think we'll have to worry about this...although...we can never be too sure unfortunately.

boo-hoo-hoo, i'm not sympathetic.

The way i see it is one less ungainly hole to see on a cute iBook or PB. While they are at it, get rid of the modem port and ethernet port too. Give me a beautiful stylist laptop with long battery life and wireless access.
Let not cater to people who like to stick every which wires that they can find to their laptop.

Cinch

 

[shamino]

If the pro computers only come with FW800, I hope they include a downconverter to FW400. I have a bunch of FW400 devices and no FW800 devices. Maybe they'll have both, which is even more awesome.

The "downconverter" is a simple cable adapter. FW800 will auto-negotiate to 400Mbps if necessary. Just like it (and FW400) will auto-negotiate to 200M and 100M speeds (which are also valid FW speeds) if the attached devices don't support anything faster.

 

[shamino]

boo-hoo-hoo, i'm not sympathetic.

The way i see it is one less ungainly hole to see on a cute iBook or PB. While they are at it, get rid of the modem port and ethernet port too. Give me a beautiful stylist laptop with long battery life and wireless access.
Let not cater to people who like to stick every which wires that they can find to their laptop.

While you're at it, let's get rid of the USB ports and keyboard as well, and force everything to be BlueTooth. And see if we can come up with a wireless display tech and matching headset to get rid of that bit of ugliness as well.

Ideally, we should have an undifferentiated plastic (or metal, if you prefer) brick that only ten people worldwide will be able to use. Let's not cater to people who actually want to do work on a computer that was clearly purchased only for its appearance.