Firewire vs USB ?

**Husar** · 10-25-2009, 19:52

There is a new eSATA standard in the works that would probably not work like this because it has it's own power supply like USB, current eSATA devices either need an external power supply or a USB connector to draw power from a USB port(some small sticks), the new technology should make that superfluous so an eSATA stick won't need an USB connector for power anymore.

**LeftEyeNine** · 10-25-2009, 23:39

So briefly, should I buy into this method ?

**Husar** · 10-26-2009, 01:49

I guess a 3.5" external HDD will have it's own power supply anyway so if you want that, why not?
If you want to use it mainly for eSATA equivalents of USB sticks, you should be aware that the current variants need a USB cable for power, I guess it would be the same for those small 2.5" or 1.8" external HDDs that often get their power directly from the USB port.

**Furunculus** · 10-26-2009, 15:51

esata would be better than firewire.

**Lemur** · 10-26-2009, 16:40

Another thing to remember; theoretical bus speeds don't match real-world results. Both eSATA and Firewire reach about 85% of their maximum spec, which is fine and dandy for working with hard drives, but USB never came close to that. Or at least, it never used to, don't know if it's been improved with the latest iteration.

I remember that was the issue back in the day of USB v. Firewire; they looked close on paper, but in the real world it was no contest. That's why Firewire became a video standard.

But I contract with a video company based in Chicago, and they've been switched over to eSATA for some time now. That should tell you something. Nobody is more serious about moving large amounts of data quickly and cheaply than a video company.

**Xiahou** · 10-26-2009, 18:45

Originally Posted by Lemur

I remember that was the issue back in the day of USB v. Firewire; they looked close on paper, but in the real world it was no contest. That's why Firewire became a video standard.

Originally Posted by Husar

I guess a 3.5" external HDD will have it's own power supply anyway so if you want that, why not?
If you want to use it mainly for eSATA equivalents of USB sticks, you should be aware that the current variants need a USB cable for power, I guess it would be the same for those small 2.5" or 1.8" external HDDs that often get their power directly from the USB port.

This is a big drawback in my opinion. To me, the point of an external drive is for additional storage and for portability. Currently, eSATA completely loses out on portability. It needs separate power and it's still far from guaranteed that other PCs you want to attach the drive to will support the drive at all.

I think the question for LEN is what do you need the drive for? If it's just for backups or extra storage, I don't see much point in installing adapters and going to the extra hassle and expense for a little speed gain.