What is Firewire? Easily explained
Maybe your external hard drive or laptop has a Firewire port. We explain what Firewire is in this practical tip. We also give you an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of Firewire.
What is Firewire?
Firewire is actually a trademark of Apple. It denotes a data transmission system such. B. USB. Computers very often have a Firewire interface.
- Firewire is also known as "i.LINK" (from Sony) or "1394" for other brands.
- Firewire is mainly used in video and sound technology. Audio and video cards are connected via the interface.
- However, Firewire is also often used to connect additional mass storage devices such as external hard drives or external DVD burners.
What does Firewire offer you?
In this section, we'll look at the pros and cons of Firewire:
- Firewire interfaces have a high data throughput rate, so they work particularly quickly. With external hard drives, for example, this is a great advantage.
- Firewire can now transmit up to 800 Mbit per second.
- In contrast to USB 2.0, Firewire enables bidirectional data transfer, which means you can send and receive at the same time.
- Unfortunately, not all devices have a Firewire interface. The interface has not really established itself on the market.
- In addition, a Firewire hard drive often costs more than a standard USB hard drive.
In the next practical tip, read about USB 3.0 and the difference to USB 2.0.