Firewire is fast

One of the banes of computer users is the use of acronyms and numbers. For instance, how about IEEE 1394? Pretty catchy, huh? It stands for a very fast way of getting data into your computer. And it's more commonly known as FireWire. This standard was invented by Apple, but is used in both Apple and Windows machines. It is rated to move 400 megabits of data per second. But computer standards are always overstated. Maxtor, which makes hard drives, has found that FireWire can move a sustained 328 megabits (41 megabytes) per second. So, if you have a home movie that is 10 gigabytes, FireWire could move it from your camera into your computer in less than 4.5 minutes. FireWire's chief rival is USB 2.0. It is rated faster than FireWire, at 480 megabits per second. But the fastest installations Maxtor has found were 272 megabits (34 megabytes) per second. At that rate, your 10GB movie would take 5.25 minutes to download. Most USB 2.0 installations are actually much slower. Most video cameras have FireWire outputs. If you're using an Apple computer, you should have a FireWire port. Most Windows machines do not. But you can buy an internal card (circuit board) with FireWire ports for less than $20.