FireWire (also known as i.Link or IEEE 1394) is a personal computer (and digital audio/digital video) serial bus interface standard, offering high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data services. FireWire has replaced Parallel SCSI in many applications due to lower implementation costs and a simplified, more adaptable cabling system.
Almost all modern digital camcorders
have included this connection since 1995. Many computers intended for
home or professional audio/video use have built-in FireWire ports
including all Macintosh, Dell and Sony computers currently produced. FireWire was also an attractive feature on the Apple iPod
for several years, permitting new tracks to be uploaded in a few
seconds and also for the battery to be recharged concurrently with one
cable. However, Apple has eliminated FireWire support in favor of Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 on its newer iPods due to space constraints and for wider compatibility.
