Once upon a time, there was an interface known as SCSI. Nobody liked setting IDs, chaining devices, or using thick cables on fat connectors. “There’s gotta be a better way!” said the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and Apple took them up on their challenge. Apple, Sony, IBM, and other companies came together to design a hot interface: IEEE 1394, better known as FireWire. So if it was so great, why isn’t it still around? Listen in to find out.
Sources / Notes: Ars Technica’s The Tragedy of FireWire Michael Johas Teener’s Q&A Oral history of John Rubinstein 1394 Trade Association The 8-Bit Guy: RIP FireWire Contact UsYou can find Dan on twitter @kefkafloyd and Jake on twitter @jakepugh. We’re available on your podcast platform of choice, and if you like us, a five star rating or review would be greatly appreciated. You can visit our website at icongardenshow.com or post in the Ars thread by going to bit.ly/tigsthread. Some interstitial music used in this episode is courtesy of the Youtube Audio Library and it was composed by Jeremy Blake. Thanks for listening, and we’ll catch you next time.
