The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    How important is firewire?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by VetaMega, Jul 8, 2009.

  1. VetaMega

    VetaMega Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    If I am going to use external hard-ware and I predict I will - how important is having a firmware port?
     
    VetaMega, Jul 8, 2009
    #1
  2. Soviet Sunrise

    Soviet Sunrise Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,140
    Messages:
    6,547
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Firewire is unimportant.
     
    Soviet Sunrise, Jul 8, 2009
    #2
  3. useroflaptops

    useroflaptops Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    60
    Messages:
    538
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    yea, for me, waste of physical space. waste of memory space
     
    useroflaptops, Jul 8, 2009
    #3
  4. iGrim

    iGrim Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    47
    Messages:
    380
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Firewire is dead.
     
    iGrim, Jul 8, 2009
    #4
  5. Kamin_Majere

    Kamin_Majere =][= Ordo Hereticus

    Reputations:
    1,522
    Messages:
    2,680
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Do you mean Firewire or Firmware?

    A firewire port is ok to have, but most people use USB or eSATA now

    If you are talking about a firmware port (like some SSD's have) then yeah its important. But usually its Mini-USB
     
    Kamin_Majere, Jul 8, 2009
    #5
  6. VetaMega

    VetaMega Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I meant Fireware.

    How important is eSATA then?
     
    VetaMega, Jul 8, 2009
    #6
  7. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    eSATA is good performance is double (and more depending on the hard drive) the performance of USB 2.0.

    Get it if you can, but your external hard drive has to have an eSATA port as well.

    Also, if your laptop/computer doesn't have an eSATA port, you can get an Expresscard that has an eSATA port on it.
     
    namaiki, Jul 8, 2009
    #7
  8. Kamin_Majere

    Kamin_Majere =][= Ordo Hereticus

    Reputations:
    1,522
    Messages:
    2,680
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    :p

    eSata is pretty nice to have. its not needed, but if you're transfering any large amount of data its nice to be able to run the drive at "normal" speeds vs USB speeds.

    About the only problem with eSATA (and what i hope they fix with version 2) is you will need an external power cable as eSATA isnt self powered
     
    Kamin_Majere, Jul 8, 2009
    #8
  9. Soviet Sunrise

    Soviet Sunrise Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,140
    Messages:
    6,547
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    What the hell is fireware?

    eSATA is nice to have. More and more laptops are being equipped with this standard. I use it to transfer huge files to and from my ES.2's.
     
    Soviet Sunrise, Jul 8, 2009
    #9
  10. VetaMega

    VetaMega Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    External Hard-drives - are they reliable enough to be had these days? I remember when the large majority of them would fall apart or burn down after a year or two of use.
     
    VetaMega, Jul 8, 2009
    #10
  11. mystery905

    mystery905 Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    224
    Messages:
    1,287
    Likes Received:
    17
    Trophy Points:
    56
    It's the opposite of firmwire :)
     
    mystery905, Jul 8, 2009
    #11
  12. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,779
    Messages:
    7,957
    Likes Received:
    87
    Trophy Points:
    216
    Firewire is also sometimes called i-link or something. It is a small port, supposed to be very fast. I have never used myne. I guess some digital cameras use it or other simmilar devices.
     
    moral hazard, Jul 8, 2009
    #12
  13. Johnny T

    Johnny T Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    6,092
    Messages:
    12,975
    Likes Received:
    201
    Trophy Points:
    481
    moral hazard you are reading it wrong. :p

    We are asking the OP what he is trying to say in "fireware" which is neither firewire or firmware. :laugh:
     
    Johnny T, Jul 8, 2009
    #13
  14. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,779
    Messages:
    7,957
    Likes Received:
    87
    Trophy Points:
    216
    the title of the thread is "firewire" not "fireware" :)
     
    moral hazard, Jul 8, 2009
    #14
  15. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    Fireware in this context? This is just a typo of firewire..
     
    namaiki, Jul 8, 2009
    #15
  16. Johnny T

    Johnny T Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    6,092
    Messages:
    12,975
    Likes Received:
    201
    Trophy Points:
    481
    Well a mod changed it. :p But really only the OP knows what he is trying to say. :laugh:

    Yeah Sony called it i-link. And it is usually used for connecting cam recorders or some external audio interfaces. :) So really, you will know if you have a use for it or not.
     
    Johnny T, Jul 8, 2009
    #16
  17. garetjax

    garetjax NBR Freelance Reviewer NBR Reviewer

    Reputations:
    1,706
    Messages:
    1,681
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    eSATA is soon to be dead once USB 3.0 is released in 2010.
     
    garetjax, Jul 8, 2009
    #17
  18. VetaMega

    VetaMega Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    LoL. I meant the IEE 1394 interface, Fireware 8.00.
     
    VetaMega, Jul 8, 2009
    #18
  19. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    Do you have a link to this please?

    IEEE 1394 is FireWire. There is FireWire 400 and FireWire 800.
     
    namaiki, Jul 8, 2009
    #19
  20. Johnny T

    Johnny T Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    6,092
    Messages:
    12,975
    Likes Received:
    201
    Trophy Points:
    481
    Haha glad you cleared that up! :p

    So yeah as I mentioned above, you will know if you have a use for it. People don't generally use it as a lets say... interface for external storage anymore. Usually it's used as a interface for equipments that requires the higher bandwidth. People usually list IEEE1394 (usually 400)as a requirement (rather than "I wouldn't mind have it") when they ask for notebook recommendations here.
     
    Johnny T, Jul 8, 2009
    #20
  21. moral hazard

    moral hazard Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,779
    Messages:
    7,957
    Likes Received:
    87
    Trophy Points:
    216
    IEE 1394 = firewire = i-link = useless for most people.
     
    moral hazard, Jul 8, 2009
    #21
  22. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,389
    Messages:
    10,552
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    456
    While it would be nice to just have 1 universal port for external applications, since internally SATA will continue to be prevalent, eSATA will not die out in the near future (unlike FW's poor mainstream adoption). With the advent of SATA/600, eSATA will be upgraded to eSATAp (powered and run at 600MB/s max) as opposed to USB 3.0's 500MB/s max.
     
    sgogeta4, Jul 9, 2009
    #22