| Thursday, December 5, 2002 |
19:28 - So that's what we've been missing
http://www.apple-x.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=121&mode=th
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There's been speculation about this in the past, but apparently it's for real: IP over FireWire. Apple just released a preview of it today.
What good is it? Well:
As you already know, products such as the iPod and digital video cameras already use Firewire ports. In the future you may be able to assign future products with an IP address while connected via firewire, opening the door for networking video cameras and other devices. Imagine being at an editing studio, plugging in your DV camera and having it being accessible to every computer on your network in conjunction with Rendezvous. That camera is now accessible at 400 megabits a second anywhere on the network. We are talking about major speed and potential here. Other great advantages for IP over Firewire include the ability for older machines to work on future networks and faster networking with laptops with lower-speed ethernet connections.
Rendezvous, FireWire, the Digital Hub devices-- are they all jigsaw pieces in a vision of the home or studio or office that involves a unified access protocol for peripheral data transport and TCP/IP networking? Broadcasting MP3s from an iPod Web server or AppleTalk share? Multi-CPU clustering? All at speeds in excess of that of Gigabit Ethernet (as soon as the newer versions of FireWire are available, which is reported to be soon)?
Who knows where this will lead. Presumably they've got some compelling business case for this, and a killer app waiting in the wings that will seem obvious as soon as we see it but which nobody will predict coming. We'll just have to wait and see.
But the crucial bit is that they're actively working on making this a reality-- it ain't just speculation anymore.
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