High-speed interface for connecting peripherals to computers. Currently running at 400Mbps, it supports up to 63 devices, is hot-pluggable and requires no configuration of device IDs or terminators. The next generation is expected to reach 800Mbps. Primarily used as an interface between Digital Video cameras and computers, many other Firewire devices are available, such as Hard Drives and CD writers.
Firewire was developed by Apple, but has been adopted as an industry standard, IEEE 1394. The name "Firewire" is a trademark of Apple, however, so other companies give the technology other names, such as Sony's iLink.
Firewire is so good that it's almost a no-brainer, but for a couple of caveats:
- Apple charge a fairly hefty royalty for use of the technology
- Intel are not jumping on the bandwagon, because they think that the next generation of USB will be better.
Intel are only correct about USB 2.0, however, in the sense that they take "better" to mean "just as good, but developed by us". By the time USB 2.0 hits the streets, Firewire should have made the jump to the next generation, which will be twice as fast.