I decided I’d wait the weekend before writing this article to collect some outside opinions and gather my own thoughts. Last Tuesday, Apple’s new MacBook marked what many are considering the next step in the slow death of FireWire. First, it was the iPods, followed a few years later with the MacBook Air. Is this port really necessary?
Three years ago the same issue was brought up when Apple removed FireWire from iPods. This made some sense to cut costs and allow everyone’s favorite music player to work right out of the box with both Macs and PCs. Previously, iPods required PC folks to buy a separate USB/FireWire combo cable or get a FireWire port on the PC. This move, although hated at first, allowed iPod peripherals to work one way, and iPods to work with host computers one way.
A few years later with the first MacBook Pro, we saw a few changes. FireWire 800 was not included in the earliest of Apple’s Intel-based professional notebooks, only reappearing a little later. This showed that Apple was a little less-than-confident that FireWire 800 was actually going to be the next step. It never made it to any consumer-grade Macs.
Last January when Apple showed off the ultra-small MacBook Air, many complained that it was not a true Mac because it did not include FireWire. This trend continued throughout the MacBook family with both the MacBook and MacBook Pro losing their FireWire 400 ports, and the MacBook Pro keeping its backwards-compatible-with-a-cable FireWire 800 port.
Why the change of heart for this odd-shaped high-speed connection?
One theory is that many vendors have backed USB 2.0. Although FireWire 400 is actually faster in most cases than the 480Mbps USB 2.0, USB 2.0 is a port people are already familiar with. It’s around in the PC world a lot more than FireWire and can allow a computer to have one I/O port for everything. Just like in the Beta/VHS wars, convenience won out over the technically superior technology. Its death was predicted even in 2007.
I’m Mac geek (duh), and also do quite a bit of video work. I edited quite a few things using a Sony DV camera and Final Cut Pro on a Mac mini. I was rather impressed that I could do this with such low-end equipment (the camera was actually pro-level and not mine). Would I buy a new MacBook? Probably not. Just like all the people that are complaining, it is not geared towards me. Sure, I’d love a $1000 notebook with every feature, but I decided to conduct some unscientific research regarding the FireWire port.
Most of the people I know who have MacBooks have not used the FireWire port. Some have had their MacBooks for over 2 years and have never connected anything there. Some have external USB drives for backup (because that’s mostly what Best Buy/Wal-Mart/Circuit City sell). None knew about Target Disk Mode. My point is, FireWire is not something that people even think about nowadays unless they need it. It’s not a consumer-grade connection.
The argument is that people need FireWire for legacy equipment. I’d buy that. However, most external drives can be converted to USB 2.0 and most camcorders are moving towards USB as the only way to get things to a computer (as they are file-based rather than linear tape). Those who do music editing and production who have specific devices probably are trying to do pro-level work on consumer-level equipment.
My point is, there’s a reason why the iPods lost FireWire. There’s a reason the first batch of iBooks didn’t include FireWire (only USB 1.1). There’s a reason why the first iMac didn’t include FireWire. It was added later to consumer-level Macs primarily for video work, but with most cameras moving towards USB, the port just won’t be getting as much love from the average Mac user.
Before you start writing nasty comments, think about it. Apple may indeed know best in this case—I’m sure someone was paid a considerable amount of money to research if people really use FireWire enough to need it on every MacBook. It seems like those who have been using MacBook Airs for the last 9 months are getting along quite nicely without it…as are the millions of iPod video, touch, nano, and iPhone users. Although it isn’t an outdated technology (as was the case with serial, ADB, and SCSI), FireWire may just not be all that necessary for many users.
14 Responses to “The FireWire Controversy”
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10/20/2008 at 10:55 am
I agree as far as storage goes, and even TDM is OK to go given that the drives are so easy to remove. However, I think Apple has jumped too quickly, as there are a lot of DV camcorders out there, and a lot of hobbyist musicians out there who use devices that are firewire only. Given USB’s inadequacies, it’s not likely that decent quality audio equipment (multi-input boxes) will ever sit happily on USB or they would have already transitioned. Sure, I’m with you that the typical joe/josephine consumer may never use it, but what cost savings were obtained by dropping it compared to asking those who need Firewire to pony up not only the extra ~$800 for the Pro but also give up the smaller form factor? I think the time is really not yet come. Maybe USB3 will provide a better transfer mode for audio interfaces and clear it, but since Apple seems to be targeting Audio hobbyists via GarageBand, it seems odd that they’d drop the interface most used in that area.
10/20/2008 at 12:08 pm
If I was running Apple I’d sell a 13.3 inch Macbook Pro identical to the high end Macbook but with 1 USB port and 1 Firewire 800 port and sell it for $1699.
From all the feedback this non-issue is getting it’d be like printing money.
10/20/2008 at 1:37 pm
The online petition has about 8500 signatures which would be about 11 million+ dollars, I htink Apple should reconsider. As a shareholder it makes sense. They are using a flowjet to make their new notebooks, should be easy to redesign the case.
10/20/2008 at 2:15 pm
You obviously haven’t seen the sheer magnitude of the complaints al over the internet and in just about every language you can imagine. I have NEVER seen a reaction so volatile to something done by Apple – from its own users.
That alone is evidence enough that people want/need it. A far more credible sample than the people you know.
The MacBook Air is a secondary computer. Nobody buys an Air as their main computer. People who need the Air can get around it not having Firewire as Firewire is very probably on the main computer.
Firewire is not so essential on an iPod as most people only sync iPods (small data transfers on the whole) and don’t do much else with them.
People are up in arms because a technology that is far better than USB, that was created by Apple (in part) and is cheap for Apple to use has been removed. There is no solid reasoning to support its removal and Apple remains silent on the issue.
Fire IS consumer. Don’t even think about trying to say it’s not. Yes, it’s also used in professional situations. Ask any person who has devices with both USB and Firewire, which one they prefer to use and you will get a unanimous answer. If you look you will see that many companies offer Firewire products as well as USB only gear. The firewire products are slightly higher in price but they still make them becasue there is a market for them (Iomega, Seagate, Western Digital, Drobo etc).
Apple, it seems, has not even spoken to companies to warn them of its plans. This may mean that Firewire is not dead at all in Apple’s eyes and they are just trying to differentiate the MacBook lines (which in itself would be an evil reason for taking such action).
As Apple is silent on the subject nobody really knows either way. It just goes to show how little respect Apple has for its most supportive users. Those that had no option but to go with Firewire (even if it was better) as Apple took so long to support USB 2.0.
I have sent in feedback. I will not be buying a new MacBook. I planned on getting one but the new high price and lack of firewire have made me change my mind.
It seems a LOT of people have sent in feedback. We will see if Apple listens to its customers soon enough. Tomorrow there is a conference call and I’m sure this issue will crop up.
Apple has over 20 BILLION dollars in cash. If it wanted to support firewire for its users that need it, it would cost them next to nothing to do so.
There is absolutely no excuse for them doing what they’ve done and I hope they make a statement apologising for the error and giving a timeframe for correcting it.
Yes, the word there is ‘Apologise’. It’s not a typo.
I’d love to go one-on-one with Steve Jobs to debate this one!
10/20/2008 at 2:29 pm
@Stevew: I have seen the sheer magnitude of complaints over the web about this issue. I subscribe to probably close to 85 Apple-related RSS feeds. These are the same people that are signing the online petitions and saying that their next computer will be a Dell.
I’m not trying to make excuses for what Apple does (there are numerous things that I am not a fan of), but in some cases, it’s worth looking at from the non-Apple-fanatic side of things.
I have a number of FireWire drives and wouldn’t trade them for USB 2.0 ones on any given day, but the same argument could be said about SCSI devices back in 1998. Peter Cohen seems to be on a similar page. I do like the comment posted regarding Apple should have included at least a 4-pin connector.
Still, FireWire is Apple’s baby and I’m surprised that they are putting out to pasture in some segments.
10/20/2008 at 2:54 pm
I didn’t mean to imply you were making excuses for them but I suppose it came over that way because of the anger I’m feeling right now.
SCSI is not relevant here as Firewire was far superior to SCSI and represented a step forward technologically speaking. A big step in many ways.
In this case nothing has been offered which represents a step forward. In fact it’s quite the contrary – a step back. Users have been left with USB2.0 which has proven to be inefficient, CPU hogging and to top things off Apple’s software support for it is far from optimised.
10/20/2008 at 4:44 pm
I can’t live without Target Mode. Firewire is essential.
10/20/2008 at 5:23 pm
It’s a deal breaker. I want a new laptop, but my camcorder does Firewire, and my back-up external HD’s do Firewire. I don’t want to invest in the cost and headaches of NAS, nor do I wish to downgrade to USB 2. This sucks.
10/21/2008 at 12:25 am
I really need a new Apple laptop; mine is ancient. But I can’t afford a MacBook Pro and won’t buy a MacBook without FireWire. So for now, I wait – either for FireWire to return, or the current Pro models to hit the used market. Neither helps Apple…
10/21/2008 at 2:23 am
Likewise. My camera is Firewire, and I’m in no hurry to replace it. I have 3 Firewire hard drives daisy chained off my computer when it’s on my desk, and I’m in no hurry to change that. And Target Disk mode has saved my bacon more than once.
I think Apple should have kept Firewire for another couple of years, while discouraging video camera manufacturers from using it any more. It’s certainly encouraged me to hang onto my Firewire laptop for considerably longer than I otherwise might.
10/28/2008 at 9:50 am
You said most camcorders are “moving to” USB. But we can’t use our existing Firewire camcorders on a new MacBook! It’s absurd to have to buy a new camcorder if we want to use iMovie! Especially since Apple pioneered Firewire!
10/28/2008 at 12:25 pm
As someone who has a FireWire camera and know plenty of people who swear by this technology, I wholeheartedly agree. It’s a bad step that “legacy” equipment is being left behind, but it seems that Apple is expecting many people to move towards HD camcorders once theirs fail/get obsolete.
11/01/2008 at 8:28 pm
As a Mac consultant, I’m horrified at losing firewire! I use target mode to save my clients’ bacon at last three times a week.
What galls me is that they have removed a capability without offering something to replace it.
What will I do?
Whatever shall I do?!
Well. For one thing, I’ll be removing MacBook hard drives to rescue the data!
11/02/2008 at 10:54 pm
I think the consensus has been to yank the drive out and slap it in a SATA/USB enclosure…it’s not as convenient as Target Disk Mode, but it works. Also, Apple could have some sort of imaging/deployment setup coming out with Snow Leopard.