<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">dZ,<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Even though USB 2.0 has 480 Mbps transfer rates, that is a theoretical maxiumum. This speed is hampered by the need of the CPU to manage the transfer. In small file transfers, you'll probably never notice the difference between USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 (which does not require CPU intervention - the controller handles the transfers). But as the data transfers get larger and larger, you'll really start to notice the difference. <BR><DIV><DIV>Try it for yourself. Copy 2 GB of the same data into two different folders on your drive and time it. Then post back your results. My own experience (and that of many others) should confirm that FW400 is faster that USB 2.0 (480 Mbps). As far as I know, there is no reliability issue with USB 2.0 or Firewire.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV> On May 26, 2005, at 6:38 AM, DZ-Jay wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Quick question:<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>Which is faster/more reliable/better, FireWire or USB 2.0.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>My new external drive comes with an option for both.<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>At the moment, I'm using it with FireWire -- but this decision was highly unscientific, as it was based solely on "FireWire" sounding much cooler than "USB 2.0" :)</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Peter</DIV><BR><DIV> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">A little computer haiku:</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">I can't remember<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">the last time I restarted</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">I love OS X</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Helvetica; min-height: 16.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">This message sent with Mail.app 2.0.1 on Mac OS X 10.4.1</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica"><A href="mailto:pkrug@mac.com">pkrug@mac.com</A></FONT></P> <BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>