usb & firewire - the truth

[newkid]

i see the specs on firewire are 400Mbps
and usb2 is 480Mbps

so what else is important that so many people like firewire better?

are they just mac users or is there some technical reason to prefer firewire?????

[garww]

I've never investigated, but I look at it as a modern SCSI bus. USB sucks when I swap devices. The new audio toy I just got told be to reboot when I switch it's USB port (in the driver download TXT).

[Metaltyme]

While raw specs of each imply that USB is faster (marginally), firewire is considered a hell of a lot more stable and because of that, I find it more effective. It's like the tortoise and the hare...only, it's more like a lion and a cheetah. USB is processor dependent (all flavors) and robs a decent number of cycles. Firewire doesn't use the processor, as it's implemented through chipsets. So, while USB may be compared to the cheetah, when put head to head with firewire (the lion), firewire will devour USB in terms of unfaltering stability and consistent speed.

[Whistlin' Pete]

According to this site (FireWire vs. USB 2.0 - Speed Comparison) Firewire is shown to be faster for both reading and writing. Now there is Firewire 800 which is twice as fast, although I hear that all Microsoft OSs have problems taking full advantage of that. I have my RME hooked up with a F800 chord and have had no issues, but I haven't put it through any serious stress tests yet.

[Equilibrium8]

One way to explain the difference is comparing it to internet. USB is like ADSL, fast, but sends all the data at the same time, resulting in messiness (asynchronous), while Firewire is like ISDN, slower than ASDL, but sends in a steady prioritised stream, (isochronous) which improves stability and reliability. Thats why ISDN can do things that ADSL cannot.

Ok, another example (just cos I'm feeling very metaphorical today)
imagine everyone in a football stadium heading to 1 exit...(people = data)
USB - everybody rushes at once to get there. It is fast, but some ppl may be trampled, while other may be shoved out the way because others think they are more important, some may even die.
Firewire - Everybody walks to exit in a nice straight line. It will take them longer to get out, but everybody WILL get out reliably, safely and nobody will get lost.

[garww]

Could you explain that in terms of hot dogs per hour. The mouth is my main input device.

[Equilibrium8]

Here goes...

You have a hotdog..you shovel the whole thing into your mouth. The roll and sausage both break up, half the onions fall out, some of the ketchup and mustard is in your mouth, some on your lip, some on the floor. (guess which one this is..)

Or

You could take the ketchup, squirt in, then the mustard, then eat the onion, then the sausage and then the roll. Everything goes in without messing. BORING, but efficient. = ...?

[garww]

Now, that is cool !!

[newkid]

Originally Posted by Metaltyme

While raw specs of each imply that USB is faster (marginally), firewire is considered a hell of a lot more stable and because of that, I find it more effective. It's like the tortoise and the hare...only, it's more like a lion and a cheetah. USB is processor dependent (all flavors) and robs a decent number of cycles. Firewire doesn't use the processor, as it's implemented through chipsets. So, while USB may be compared to the cheetah, when put head to head with firewire (the lion), firewire will devour USB in terms of unfaltering stability and consistent speed.

+1

stability and cycles not stolen are solid reasons

[newkid]

good explanations !!
so why doesnt billyG have them put firewire on his pcs ?