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workerbee · Jan 15, 2003, 04:34 AM

One of the disadvantages of PowerBooks is that, for now, they do not have USB2. I'm all for FireWire and would not want to use USB2 unless I had to, but if this trend

All of the new camcorders come with a USB 2.0 port but do not include a FireWire (aka ILink) port. Sony claims that the USB 2.0 interface is faster...

is an indication, we'll wish for USB2 support rather sooner than later. (Remember this is Sony -- they were the first to support FireWire on Windows, if memory serves.)

When/If this trend will spill over to the digital cameras area, we'll be really envious watching the fotos download in seconds on windoze, while they are crawling in OSX -- the opposite of what's happening with iPods, actually

sworthy · Jan 15, 2003, 05:21 AM

you can get pcmia usb adaptors from comp usa for around $50. here

Only $50 and you get two ports... works for me.

iamnid · Jan 15, 2003, 05:23 AM

Yeah, but it won't work for you if you have a 12 inch powerbook -- I agree with the original poster... Firewire is definitely better... but if all DV cameras decide to switch over to USB 2.0, let's hope apple does too.

sworthy · Jan 15, 2003, 05:24 AM

...forgot to mention firewire 800. This will be the new standard soon, and obviously outperforms usb 2, and probably usb 3 if that ever comes out

Apple responded early enough to the relative equality of the two platforms to keep its supporters. Supprising about sony though...

Eriamjh · Jan 15, 2003, 08:04 AM

DV cameras have constant data streams at 3.6MB/s. Why would one care if one interface was faster? Why change standards? Is USB2 that prevalent on PCs? (I guess it would be more prevalent than FW.)

superlarry · Jan 15, 2003, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by sworthy:
...forgot to mention firewire 800. This will be the new standard soon, and obviously outperforms usb 2, and probably usb 3 if that ever comes out

yeah - check out http://www.apple.com/firewire/ to witness apple's public berating of the USB 2.0 standard :c)

Applefreak01 · Jan 15, 2003, 11:36 AM

The Woz (Steve Wozniak) said on the Screensavers from TechTV that he told Steve Jobs that he wanted Firewire 800, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth in the new PowerBooks. "I guess 2 out of 3 isn't that bad", he also said.

Eug · Jan 15, 2003, 11:46 AM

Originally posted by workerbee:
One of the disadvantages of PowerBooks is that, for now, they do not have USB2. I'm all for FireWire and would not want to use USB2 unless I had to, but if this trend is an indication, we'll wish for USB2 support rather sooner than later. (Remember this is Sony -- they were the first to support FireWire on Windows, if memory serves.)

This is not a changing trend. It is the same as before. DVD camcorders have never had Firewire. It's just that now Sony is making them too. Previously it was just companies like Hitachi and Panasonic making DVD camcorders.

For a camcorder DVD all you have to do to play it is stick the disc in a computer or in a DVD player and it works. Ever tried that with a MiniDV tape?

The MiniDV cameras still will have Firewire, at least for now.

DaveG4 · Jan 15, 2003, 12:57 PM

You are all missing one huge reason you will NEVER see a viable USB2 DV camera... DIVICE CONTROL!!! FW allows you to use device control to control your camera through the computer. Without this a batch capture would be impossible. Now if you want to discuss USB2 for digital still cameras, go right ahead, but please realize that it will never work for DV.

Eug · Jan 15, 2003, 01:52 PM

Originally posted by DaveG4:
You are all missing one huge reason you will NEVER see a viable USB2 DV camera... DIVICE CONTROL!!! FW allows you to use device control to control your camera through the computer. Without this a batch capture would be impossible. Now if you want to discuss USB2 for digital still cameras, go right ahead, but please realize that it will never work for DV.

Why not?

USB 2 isn't just for file transfer. With the right software it can be built control peripherals just fine, assuming the computer has the right drivers installed.

Hell, you could even do it with USB 1.1, although of course the video transfer would take just about forever.

workerbee · Jan 15, 2003, 05:49 PM

Originally posted by Eug:
For a camcorder DVD all you have to do to play it is stick the disc in a computer or in a DVD player and it works. Ever tried that with a MiniDV tape?

Ummm... well, yes. It didn't play, though. And it looked a bit messy afterwards, too

Thanks for the clarification, anyway. I was just surprised to read this about Sony. Let's just hope USB2 does not spread to digital photo cams.

Superchicken · Jan 15, 2003, 06:04 PM

USB for digital cammeras would be fine to me.. although being able to leave my cammera being powered by firewire would be something that'd make me ULTRA happy but i dout it'll happen. Esspecially since my cammera is USB 1.1 anyway

Ultimately I would like to see Firewire suceed... although with the fact that Firewire 800 doesn't seem to be backward compatable with Firewire 400 I'm kinda unhappy about that, a major feature of USB 2 IS backward compatablity... but the question begs to be asked after this... aside from RAIDs and what not... what EXACTLY will Firewire 800 do now that USB 2 can't do.. aside from not be intel and power things