Steve responds to Mac user's email regarding lack of FW on new MBs

[macnut]

I use FW all the time since I have a FW camcorder and numerous FW drives. I'm supposed to "upgrade" them to USB 2 if I get new MacBook? (I am running chiefly on a Santa Rosa MB now, and use FW on various other machines, too, both Intel and Moto.)

I also still use a phone modem for faxing, although now I have to use an older machine for that function -- usually my trusty Pismo, which I still love. Who needs a separate fax machine on the desk, and, yes, sometimes fax is still necessary to communicate.

[deckeda]

Apparently, "Steve's" message must mean that iMovie will work with "all of the new HD camcorders of the past few years."

[Article Accelerator]

3d wrote:
In the 6 years i've owned a 17" powerbook with firewire. I've used the firewire port exactly zero times. My OWC external HD i use for backups has USB2.

Are you making a bootable backup? If so, why?

[Robert M]

Article,

All of the intel Macs are USB 2.0 bootable. That said, with my firewire backups, they are all bootable backups. I'm purchasing two Macbooks (base aluminum model) for my office. One of my backup drives has USB 2.0. The drive is large enough for me to partition and make bootable backups for each machine via USB 2.0. No muss, no fuss.

My reason for bootable backups is simple. If I ever need to restore the machine entirely, it's easier just to use SuperDuper to copy from the external backup drive back to the internal drive. It's faster than wiping the drive, reinstalling the OS, reinstalling software and restoring data.

Robert

[modelamac]

Lack of FW means you get to keep the FW Macs and use them until you can do without. PIA, but Target Disk mode has come in very handy for me a number of times.

I just replaced a Tape-using FW camcorder that died with a new one that has the Flash drive. Requires USB2 and iMovie 7 and an Intel Mac for downloading and editing. No warning anywhere about the Intel Mac need until I tried to download to the G4. Fortunately I have 2, but ow I have to transfer to the G4 after using iM 7 to load the clips into iM6 (HD) to do editing that can't be done in iM7. So be it.

[bazookaman]

I love copying things via USB2 and watching the status bar all but stop if i resume doing anything on the computer. Then ramp right up the minute I leave it alone. Nothing like dumb controllers.

[kj4btkljv]

3d wrote: What do you mean by "all of us"?

I mean just that - we all have a different story for the use, or non-use, of FireWire. I bet many here use it daily, like me, and others don't use it at all. Simple.

3d wrote: You have DOZENS of FW based harddrives? DOZENS?? Yikes. I have 1 external for backups.

Yep. I haven't counted them lately, but I'd bet it's close to 30 that I'm responsible for. All of the people I've setup on a Mac, outside of the office, like family and friends, all use external hard drives for backup purposes. I have either recommended them these drives, or have supplied them. It's still me that gets the phone call when something goes haywire. FireWire is the easiest method to dump data, and reload anything they might need. In my opinion, it's a very critical port to have on the computer.

3d wrote: Are you sure the 13 inch low-end MacBook line was meant for you anyway? I don't mean to be sarcastic or anything... just wondering.

That's the conclusion that I came to. It's not for me, personally. But, many of my sales people could use it. It will just be a different method to support them. If I need to do anything firewire based on those machines, I'll be SOL. I'm sure this "feature" is going to move to the Mac Mini next, if that machine survives much longer. I've got about 15-20 of those machines in use right now. I've used the FireWire port on all of those at one time or another.

Jeff

[samintx]

I was mad when they didn't put 2 USB ports along with Firewire on macs. One USB and One Firewire.....My PCs have up to 4 USB ports and putting on the USB series plugin units makes my macs balk sometimes.

The truth is Apple is cutting costs. That is the reason. Why PCs can afford more than one USB AND a Firewire and apple can't has to be manfging costs. Apple is trying to get down to PC prices by hook or by crook. I say nutz to Steve (sorry to say this when he is a sick man but....)

[Z]

I <3 firewire. I've gone out of my way to recommend FW to any of my mac owning friends for the ease of target disc mode troubleshooting and speed advantage.

[N-OS X-tasy!]

kj4btkljv wrote:
[quote=3d]You have DOZENS of FW based harddrives? DOZENS?? Yikes. I have 1 external for backups.

Yep. I haven't counted them lately, but I'd bet it's close to 30 that I'm responsible for.
A previous client of mine (author and documentary maker) had a dozen FW drives hanging off of her Mac, all with active Final Cut Pro files; as she filled up her most-recently purchased drive, she would simply send her assistant out to purchase another and add it to the end of the daisy chain. I tried more than once to get her to move to a high-capacity RAID solution, but she wouldn't have it, as the FW daisy chain "just worked."