Full FeedSure we miss FireWire, but do we really need it?
To preface this article, yes it has been several months since Apple gave us the thumbs-down on FireWire by axing it from the latest round of MacBook updates (it survives on the MacBook Pro, but only in the less popular Firewire 800 form). Much has been said, though little has been done—although there is an online petition to bring FireWire back to the MacBook. But a conversation with a client and an Apple Genius at my local Apple store recently brought the issue back for a while, and it is worth sharing.
The client was unfamiliar with the latest crop of MacBooks, so there was the inevitable shock of explaining that his aging FireWire external drives were now legacy devices. Legacy devices = two choices: expensive paperweight, or an adaptor, which is a stopgap measure. An upgrade in the future is inevitable, but he was staunchly against a move to USB 2.0 drives, because (in his words), “It’s so much slower! That’s why I picked FireWire in the first place!” In the process of explaining the differences between the technologies as they currently stand, some of Apple’s recent moves (as well as popular myths about USB) were discussed, and I had an epiphany of sorts as to why USB 2.0 may not be such a bad replacement after all.
Processor Power
One of the major points against USB 2.0 is that it requires that two devices plugged into the computer talk with the CPU as a middleman. So, copying data between external hard drives requires that the processor be involved for every block of data copied. If the computer is multitasking, the data copy is inevitably slower. FireWire devices can communicate independently, so a data transfer between devices does not require the extra processor overhead. In the past, with single-core, slow processors (here’s to you, Pentium/PowerPC), this was an issue: the processors were slow to begin with, so the theoretical maximum speeds for USB were never reached. In an age of quad core, 3GHz laptop chips, this is not really the issue it once was!
In the Past
At one point, Apple was significantly behind the curve on processing power. The PowerPC G4 chip (ancient history, true, but not that ancient) lacked the robust multicore architecture enjoyed by today’s Core 2 Duo chips. The G5 chip provided mutlicore power, and speeds nearly equivalent to comparative Intel chips, but the G5 was a cooling nightmare. This precluded it from ever being a serious choice for a laptop chip, and meant that the processing power needed for viable USB 2.0 was only available in top-of-the-line PowerPC G5 towers. In this context, it made sense for Apple to champion the FireWire standard, because without Intel chips, they had no better option. USB 2.0 performance could never be more than mediocre on a vast majority of Apple desktops, and laptops of that era were completely cut off!
OS X Improvements
Part and parcel of Apple’s upcoming OS release of 10.6, Snow Leopard, is a focus on lean, efficient code, and more effective resource utilization. Anything not absolutely necessary goes; less code being executed means more free processor cycles. In addition, technology improvements such as Grand Central and the OpenCL language will allow developers to more efficiently utilize all the processing power of multicore chips and powerful GPUs included in nearly all of Apple’s computers. This focus (the opposite approach to Windows, which now requires massive resources for even the simplest of tasks) means more free processor cycles available for use.
With more processor cycles available (and more cores, as quad core chips become commonplace), USB transfer speeds should see an increase. Sure, actual USB transfer speeds may never approach those attained by FireWire, but the speed will certainly be acceptable for loading a 32GB iPod touch to capacity with (legally purchased) music and videos from iTunes. Some clever OpenCL programming could also replace the transfer speeds currently enjoyed by digital movie cameras over FireWire with equivalent speeds over USB 2.0 (or the forthcoming USB 3.0). After elucidating these points, and with some technical help from the Apple genius at the store, my client was satisfied that the transition, though it may be difficult, was hardly arbitrary.
Has Apple repeated the magic act formerly employed in removing the floppy drive from computers? They certainly seem to have the groundwork for a compelling USB-as-FireWire replacement argument. And as long as we get Target Disk Mode via some other format (Ethernet would be nice, if you’re up to it, Mr. Jobs), the list of reasons to keep FireWire around seems to be growing shorter and shorter.
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“as long as we get Target Disk Mode via some other format (Ethernet would be nice, if you’re up to it, Mr. Jobs), the list of reasons to keep FireWire around seems to be growing shorter and shorter.”
And this is one key point - target disk mode. Get this running over gigabit ethernet, and THE major argument in retaining FW is mute.
The other is the intelligence of FW, vs. the “dumb” USB interface. This impact is most felt on camcorders, and the ability to control their actions without unique USB drivers for each and every device. I guess with camcorders now moving to direct to digital, this is less of an issue, but if you prefer tape, finding a miniDV camcorder without FW AND with USB drivers for OS X is a serious challenge and greatly limits your selections.
on January 14, 2009 at 09:13 AM - LINKTarget disk mode is one thing, because some disk will not work in enclosures, because need more power then USB ca deliver.
Next is connecting miniDV cameras, which is not possible without fireware. And its affecting new and old cameras.
And next is connecting audio intefaces.
Many times is USB just headache, my friend has USB HD, USB audio interface, USB tablet and wireless mouse with USB transmiter. And his problem is to get enough electricity, because all those devices are taking too much energy from USB. So for him would be solution to swich as much possible to fireware. Unfortunately there is no fireware in macbook, its propably only notebook over $1000 (except some very light models) which doesn’t have fireware.
on January 14, 2009 at 02:30 PM - LINKYou don’t need Target Mode in the laptops without the FireWire. The drives pop out in less than 5 seconds and an Intel Mac will boot off a USB external drive.
Remember, FireWire is still on the MacBookPros. It’s not dead…. Yet.
on January 14, 2009 at 10:43 PM - LINK“You don’t need Target Mode in the laptops without the FireWire. The drives pop out in less than 5 seconds and an Intel Mac will boot off a USB external drive.”
I personally have couple notebook disks 160GB which I wasn’t able to use anywhere else then in the notebook. Probably because they use more energy then they can get from USB. I also tried powered USB hub, but it does not help.
on January 15, 2009 at 06:02 AM - LINKAd David: I don’t know what have the bootable external discs to do with FW target mode. Those two things are entirely different. In FW target mode the computer works as the hard drive in itself.
on February 9, 2009 at 07:08 PM - LINKWhat will Apple decide to drop next? Looks like the keyboard is the next “non-essential, outdated technology” to go:
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary
Seriously, comparing the loss of Firewire to the loss of the floppy drive is foolish. Floppies were replaced by better technology in the form of CD-R/RW and DVD-R/RW. Firewire was not replaced by a better technology, but rather a lesser one. USB 2.0 is simply inferior to Firewire.
Plus, the loss of Target Disk Mode is inexcusable. I have used it many times to get access to laptops and desktops that would not boot past the gray screen with the Apple logo, but with hard drives that would mount, via Target Disk Mode, on a good laptop. Saved lots of files over the years for myself and others with that.
I fear that The Onion is not too far off the mark with regard to what Apple is doing with it’s product line.
on May 17, 2009 at 06:51 PM - LINKWell, it looks like we really DID need Firewire. After much negative press, audio/video industry uprisings, and a 16,000 person petition for the return of FW to the Macbook line, Apple relented and has returned Firewire 800 to it’s newly renamed 13-inch unibody Macbook now called the “13-inch Macbook Pro”. Well done, Apple. Your people spoke and you listened. My faith is restored.
on June 9, 2009 at 09:58 PM - LINK