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LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
5.4. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 vs. FireWire 400 vs. FireWire 800
Trying to decide which interface to use, Hi-Speed USB 2.0, FireWire 400 or FireWire 800, can be a complicated decision.
Your decision should be based on the following:
Computer With Hi-Speed USB 2.0, FireWire 400 And FireWire 800 Ports
If your computer is equipped with all three interfaces, you have several options to consider. The key decision in this equa-
tion is simple: speed. FireWire 800 effectively offers twice the bandwidth of both Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and FireWire 400. So,
if you are running bandwidth-intensive applications, such as digital audio, video or graphics, FireWire 800 is your clear
choice.
Computer With Hi-Speed USB 2.0 And FireWire 400 Ports
If your computer is equipped with both Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and FireWire ports, drive performance will be relatively similar.
The theoretical transfer rates are 480Mb/s for Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and 400Mb/s for FireWire. Realistically, the two are
extremely close to each other in terms of performance and speed.
The main reason for choosing one over the other should hinge on the existing devices you are already using. For instance, if
you are already using both of your Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports on your computer, you would use the FireWire port to connect
your drive, and vice versa. Avoiding hubs (for USB topology) and daisy-chains (for FireWire topology) will help improve
performance because your drive will be connected directly to your computer.
Computer With USB And FireWire 400 Ports
If your computer is equipped with a USB port and a FireWire port, you will get noticeably better performance by using the
FireWire connection. Even though your LaCie drive comes with a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable and interface, by connecting
through the USB port, the drive will be limited to USB 1.1 speeds and performance.
Computer With Only USB Ports
If your computer is only equipped with a USB port, your decision is fairly simple: connect via the USB cable provided with
your drive. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 is backward compatible and can be used in USB ports. Again, you will be limited to USB
speeds and performance.
Another alternative is to purchase a FireWire or Hi-Speed USB 2.0 host adapter card that you would install into a PCI or
PCMCIA slot on your computer, thereby allowing your computer to take advantage of the performances that FireWire and
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 have to offer.
Contact your LaCie reseller or LaCie Customer Support for information about FireWire and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 PCI or PC
Cards, or visit our Web site:
www.lacie.com
.
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