[aehaas]

So now what. I have Firewire that needs to be plugged into the new laptop that I may buy. Is there a Firewire 800 male to Firewire 400 female adapter? Is there an adapter for those who buy a MacBook who need at 400 to USB conversion. What do we do?

aehaas

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by aehaas 

So now what. I have Firewire that needs to be plugged into the new laptop that I may buy. Is there a Firewire 800 male to Firewire 400 female adapter?

If you have a MacBook Pro, there are:

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/fw_adapter.html

Or you could just get a cable with FW400 on one end and FW800 on the other:

http://www.radtech.us/Products/ProCableFW400800.aspx

With the regular MacBook, I'm afraid you can't connect your FireWire devices, though.

edit: here's a cheaper cable: http://www.firewire-1394.com/firewir...94b-cables.htm

edit edit: and here's an even cheaper one: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

And if you need to connect to a 4-pin port instead of a 6-pin (like for a digital camera), there's this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

[imitchellg5]

The quickest and easiest solution would be to buy an ExpressCard with FireWire 400 inputs.

[CharlesS]

Why waste the ExpressCard slot on an expensive FireWire card when you've already got FireWire on the machine? It's just a matter of getting the right cable, that's all.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

With the regular MacBook, I'm afraid you can't connect your FireWire devices, though.

That is true right now, but may not be in the future. Upcoming FireWire drafts allow FireWire to use the Ethernet port.

[CharlesS]

Um, if the hardware doesn't have that capability, you won't be able to use it.

I'm pretty sure you can't just connect an adapter to any old Ethernet port and magically have FireWire if the Ethernet port wasn't designed to do that in the first place. So for the current MacBook, you will not be able to use FireWire today, tomorrow, or anytime afterward unless you end up buying a new machine later that has it.

[imitchellg5]

According to MacWorld, it will work.

[mduell]

There aren't any generic Firewire to USB adapters.

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

That is true right now, but may not be in the future. Upcoming FireWire drafts allow FireWire to use the Ethernet port.

Which may work with future hardware, but it's not going to change the hardware inside the MacBook you buy today.

[macgeek7]

that's not to say that it's not a hidden feature of the ethernet controller they're using.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

The quickest and easiest solution would be to buy an ExpressCard with FireWire 400 inputs.

No it isn't. That's the most expensive and most irritating solution.

The easiest solution is to buy a $10 800->400 cable.

Originally Posted by macgeek7 

that's not to say that it's not a hidden feature of the ethernet controller they're using.

I wouldn't count it, that's for sure. My solution was just to buy a previous model MacBook.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by Eug 

No it isn't. That's the most expensive and most irritating solution.

The easiest solution is to buy a $10 800->400 cable.

Why wouldn't you just buy a $30 card and get added ports instead of wasting your one FireWire port?

[seanc]

You can daisy chain firewire devices.
An express card would stick out the side and take up valuable space if you were in a cramped environment.

[Eug]

Exactly, cards sticking out the side suck, and FireWire is daisychainable (assuming you need to attach multiple FW devices simultaneously).

And even if your FireWire devices don't have extra ports for daisychaining, I'd rather just buy a FW400 hub.

P.S. Shouldn't this be in the other forum?

[Geofries]

Daisy Chain? Whats that?

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by seanc 

You can daisy chain firewire devices.
An express card would stick out the side and take up valuable space if you were in a cramped environment.

If you were THAT cramped, wouldn't an adaptor too?

[seanc]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

If you were THAT cramped, wouldn't an adaptor too?

Cables are easier to flex out of the way & arrange.

[Scooterboy]

If you daisy chain FW 400 and FW800 devices, does the chain work at 400 or 800 speeds?
The loss of these ports means Apple has abandoned FW400 but hasn't thought about how many people use FireWire every day. When my PowerBook is on the desk it has connected to it: FW800 drives, USB Mouse, M-Audio USB Sonica Theatre, M-Audio Black Box (FW400), and either a printer or a scanner (I use a USB hub). The M-Audio devices require direct connection to the computer, so using both at once isn't possible on the new MBP but it is on my poor old PowerBook.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

If you were THAT cramped, wouldn't an adaptor too?

Um, no?

A 9-pin to 6-pin cable is no bulkier than a 6-pin to 6-pin cable.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by macgeek7 

that's not to say that it's not a hidden feature of the ethernet controller they're using.

Are there any PHYs that support it yet? I haven't heard of any.