We know that in general FireWire-connected hard disk drives have faster data transfer rates than USB-connected drives. That’s what we always hear at Apple’s Discussions except we have never seen actual numbers compared. If true, how faster are FireWire-connected hard disk drives, anyway? Those questions must have been raised 8 or 9 years ago. But let’s revisit this topic again. Another question that you may have is whether or not USB-connected hard disk drives are so bad that one should avoid buying them.

Screenshot 01 – Source: coneco.net

Screenshot 02 – Source: coneco.net

USB-connected hard disk drives are a lot cheaper than FireWire-connected ones. There’s a good Japanese website called coneco.net where you can compare prices of electronics products. Let’s look up 320 GB drives. The cheapest USB-connected drive that we find is Maxtor OneTouch III USB 2.0. (See Screenshot 01.) The price is 7,980 yen. It’s about US$74. And the cheapest FireWire-connected model for 320 GB drives is Maxtor OneTouch III Firewire 400 / USB 2.0. The price is 13,000 yen. It’s equivalent to US$120.40. (See Screenshot 02.)  Continue reading →