3.2Gbps FireWire to Challenge USB Again

Previously I've discussed the development of USB 3.0, a 4.8Gbps technology in the works for 2009. Naturally, competition is also in the works: FireWire, the oft-maligned and seldom-used connector, will offer its third incarnation, called S3200, a roughly 3.2Gbps system.

Unless you're a Mac owner, you may not even realize that a second version of FireWire exists. Standard FireWire, or FireWire 400 (which uses that arch-shaped connector on almost every desktop and an M-shaped mini-plug on virtually every laptop), was just the first round of this technology, running at 400Mbps, comparable to USB 2.0. An 800Mbps version of FireWire, called FireWire 800, followed shortly after, but adoption was minimal at best. To date, very few computers or peripherals offer FireWire 800 connections, in large part because the connector is completely different than FireWire 400. (It looks something like a fat USB connector; see the above photo for a picture.)

FireWire S3200 could be approved as early as February of next year, giving it a big jump on USB 3.0... but will people install add-in cards to handle the incompatible connectors? Historically, uptake on products requiring new connectors has been slow, waiting until computer manufacturers began putting the connectors right on the motherboard to pick up steam.

Also expect the "which is better?" debate to rear up once again. USB and FireWire enthusiasts have long argued over how meaningful those theoretical transfer rates are, and sure enough, 480Mbps USB generally underperforms vs. 400Mbps FireWire in the real world, due to architectural overhead. Will 4.8Gbps USB be faster than 3.2Gbps FireWire? We'll have to see, when both are represented by finished, shipping products.

LINK: Firewire to gain 3.2Gb/s bandwidth boost