What is Firewire?
Definition:
FireWire, a high-speed serial interface developed by Apple in the early '90s, was initially designed to be an easy way to connect external devices, such as hard drives, to Macs. Since the mid '90s, all new Macs have included built-in FireWire ports. Apple released the FireWire protocol to the IEEE standards committee, where it became known as IEEE 1394.
Moving beyond its original purpose, FireWire has become the de facto standard for connecting digital audio and video equipment with computers.
FireWire was originally available with a bandwidth of 400 Mbits/s. In 2003, Apple released the FireWire 800 specification, which supports speeds of up to 800 Mbit/s, and is backward compatible with FireWire 400.
FireWire continues to be a popular interface for external hard drives, CD/DVD writers, and other external storage devices. FireWire is also found on many camcorders (usually with iLink, a 4-pin connector developed by Sony), set-top TV boxes, and professional audio and video equipment.
Also Known As: IEEE 1394, IEEE 1394a, IEEE 1394b, FireWire 400, FireWire 800, iLink
Examples: I connected my new 500 GB external hard drive to my Mac using the Mac's built-in FireWire port.
FireWire, a high-speed serial interface developed by Apple in the early '90s, was initially designed to be an easy way to connect external devices, such as hard drives, to Macs. Since the mid '90s, all new Macs have included built-in FireWire ports. Apple released the FireWire protocol to the IEEE standards committee, where it became known as IEEE 1394.
Moving beyond its original purpose, FireWire has become the de facto standard for connecting digital audio and video equipment with computers.
FireWire was originally available with a bandwidth of 400 Mbits/s. In 2003, Apple released the FireWire 800 specification, which supports speeds of up to 800 Mbit/s, and is backward compatible with FireWire 400.
FireWire continues to be a popular interface for external hard drives, CD/DVD writers, and other external storage devices. FireWire is also found on many camcorders (usually with iLink, a 4-pin connector developed by Sony), set-top TV boxes, and professional audio and video equipment.
Also Known As: IEEE 1394, IEEE 1394a, IEEE 1394b, FireWire 400, FireWire 800, iLink
Examples: I connected my new 500 GB external hard drive to my Mac using the Mac's built-in FireWire port.
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