Firewire or USB?
- Started
- Last post
- 8 Responses
- mybrokenshoe
Hello, I have got an g4 ibook with lots of stuff to be backed up and am looking to get a external harddrive.
However i am not sure about whether to get firewire or usb2 one. What do you folks use and why?
thanks
- Dancer0
most good HD's have both.
Firewire is a hell of a lot quicker. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I heard that they were phasing it out though??
- pocho0
Firewire is quicker with larger files (better sustained data rate) and NO they are NOT phasing it out. The 2nd generation of Firewire (800) is just not being adopted as fast as 400 was.
There are too many digital video recorders at all levels of production (consumer to pro) that rely on Firewire...there are just not too many people that see the benefits of 800.
- Dancer0
Cool, I just thought I heard something about USB technology was superior just not upto speed as yet. My bad
- Fariska0
It's almost the same thing: Firewire400: 400Mbps,
Firewire800: 800 Mbps
Usb2: 480Mbs
What really is important is the transfer rate of the disk, which is usually in a range from 40 to 65 Mb/sec
- ribit0
I think you mean disks around 40-65 MB/s (megabytes) not Mb/sec (megabits)
- Fariska0
yep, sorry
- mybrokenshoe0
Thanks folks, I think i'll go with firewire because of the transfer rate .
Much appreciated.
- rafalski0
I suggest, take one with both, to save yourself cursing when you have to hook it up to a machine that only has one of those..
USB is available pretty much everywhere, while firewire is not.