Getting Fired Up About FireWire
Got FireWire? If your PC doesn’t contain FireWire ports, you’re missing out on the most widely used high-speed connection scheme available.
FireWire was invented in the mid-1990s by Apple Computer Inc. Later, it was adopted as a standard by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers--hence its less-fiery moniker, IEEE 1394. Sony Corp. and other firms call it iLink, but each name refers to the same thing: a fast interface for connecting add-ons to computers.
How fast? FireWire can transfer data at up to 400 megabits per second. By comparison, the Universal Serial Bus ports that are built into most PCs max out at about 12 Mbps. (The new USB 2.0 tops out at 480 Mbps, but the standard is catching on slowly.)
Most people think of FireWire as a way to connect video cameras to personal computers. That’s a common application, but FireWire is about much more than video. Any device that deals with lots of data is an ideal candidate for a FireWire connection. And these days, plenty of devices deal with lots of data.
Many high-end digital cameras now provide FireWire jacks, which enable them to transfer images to a computer far faster than USB cameras. You also can buy FireWire-based card readers that accept the Compact Flash and SmartMedia cards used by most consumer-level digital cameras. Connect a reader to your computer and then insert the card in the reader, and you can transfer images in the fast lane.
Three companies offering FireWire-based card readers are Unity Digital, Lexar Media Inc. and Synchrotech. You’ll pay $100 to $150 for a FireWire reader. USB-based readers cost much less but are far slower. If you have a high-resolution digital camera, spring for a FireWire reader.
Speaking of digital imaging, many scanners now provide FireWire connections too. USB still dominates among inexpensive scanners, although Umax Technologies Inc.’s Astra 6400, currently selling for $99, is a notable exception.
Hard drives and optical burners also are available with FireWire jacks. A FireWire hard drive is a great way to expand your system’s storage and is ideal for moving large files from one computer to another.
Many companies sell standard-size FireWire hard drives, but today’s hot fashion accessories are the compact drives from companies such as WiebeTech, La Cie and Smartdisk Corp. Portable FireWire drives shoehorn up to 60 gigabytes into cases that fit into shirt pockets. The most copious minidrives aren’t cheap--La Cie’s 60gb Pocket Drive goes for $699--but drives in the 20gb and 30gb ballpark are less than $350.
And then there’s Apple’s iPod music player, which contains a 5gb hard drive and connects via FireWire. The iPod was designed for Macs, obviously, but with MediaFour Corp.’s XPlay software, you can use it with Windows computers.
So how can you catch FireWire? It’s built into all Macs and is factory-installed on a growing number of Windows PCs, particularly Sony’s. And you can add it to just about any desktop or notebook PC by installing a FireWire adapter card. All recent versions of Windows support FireWire; Windows XP supports it particularly well.
For desktop PCs, a FireWire card that installs in an internal expansion slot typically costs well below $100 and provides two or three FireWire jacks. For notebooks, FireWire adapters that install in a CardBus slot cost about $100.
When you’re shopping for a FireWire card for a desktop PC, look for one that provides “powered” FireWire jacks--many portable FireWire hard drives (as well as Apple’s iPod) can draw power from these jacks and thus don’t require a separate power supply. Belkin Components sells a $79 FireWire card that provides three powered jacks.
And when your collection of FireWire gizmos outgrows the number of jacks on your computer, it’s time for a FireWire hub, which provides additional connectors. Belkin Components’ $99 hub provides six FireWire jacks.
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Jim Heid is a contributing editor of Macworld magazine. Contact him at jim@jimheid.com.
