Comments on: The FireWire Controversy

By: Eric Schwarz

Eric Schwarz — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:54:04 +0000

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.

By: Dan Robinson

Dan Robinson — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 01:28:51 +0000

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!

By: Eric Schwarz

Eric Schwarz — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:25:42 +0000

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.

By: Dwain Elliott

Dwain Elliott — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:50:50 +0000

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!

By: mikhailovitch

mikhailovitch — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 07:23:22 +0000

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.