Apple Admits USB Dominance Too Big to Ignore; Experts See it as Right Move
TMO Reports - Apple Admits USB Dominance Too Big to Ignore; Experts See it as Right Move
by , 9:10 AM EST, February 25th, 2005
Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 is the king of connectivity and Apple Computer acknowledged that fact Wednesday by no longer including a FireWire cable with its new line of iPod digital media devices. Most industry experts agree Apple's decision was the right one in a marketplace where USB is standard equipment on every PC sold today.
In announcing new models of the iPod color and a second-generation iPod mini, Apple dropped the FireWire cable as standard equipment. Although iPod users can still use Firewire to transfer data and charge their devices, consumers must now pay an additional US$19 for the cable.
The move is part of Apple's gradual shift to use USB 2.0 as the defacto standard on the iPod, which is far more common in the Windows world.
"I think it was a prudent decision, as well as a cost effective one," Mark Margevicius, research director at the technology analysis firm Gartner, Inc., told The Mac Observer.
"USB allows for so much more diversity," Mr. Margevicius said. "It was a common sense decision for Apple, much like making iTunes available for Windows. You can't overlook what the marketplace is using.
"In the PC market in 2004, high-speed USB has nearly saturated the desktop market, and now comprises over three-quarters of the notebook market."
Mr. Margevicius also believes another factor in favor of USB 2.0 is its ability to now recharge via a USB connection -- something that wasn't available on iPods and PCs until just the past two years.
When comparing FireWire and USB 2.0, the speed at which data transfers is roughly the same. USB 2.0 has a theoretical top speed of 480 megabits per second while FireWire 400, or IEEE 1394, tops out at 400 Mbps. A faster version of FireWire, known as IEEE 1394.b or FireWire 800, is roughly twice the speed of FireWire and USB 2.0. It is currently offered on Apple's Power Mac G5 models and offered on a selected few Windows-based PCs.
But that is where the similarities end.
USB 2.0 is standard fare on the majority of Windows-based personal computers available today. Mr. Margevicius said market penetration of USB 2.0 is "virtually 100%" of all personal computers sold today and either it or USB version 1.0 has been in Windows-based PCs since 2000. USB 2.0 has been standard on iMacs since September of 2003. When the iPod debuted in 2001, it used only FireWire. When Apple released Windows-ready iPods, USB was not supported. It wasn't until April 2003 that Apple first offered iPods with USB 2.0 for an additional $19.
As for FireWire, it is often an option on Windows-ready PCs and its adoption on third-party hard drives and other peripherals has not been as profound as USB 2.0, which is found on everything from digital cameras to flash drives. While FireWire 400 is prevalent, Mr. Margevicius figures it is only available on about 25% of PCs sold today.
Another factor, according to Mr. Margevicius is adoption of USB 2.0 by third-party peripheral makers. According to the latest In-Stat forecast, the number of USB-enabled devices will rise from 705.7 million in 2004 to 2.1 billion in 2009 -- everything from hard drives and printers, to coffee cup warmers and adjustable reading lights.
"The more USB-ready devices that are out there just solidifies its acceptance and use," Mr. Margevicius said.
Another possible future factor: The growth potential of Wireless USB 1.0. Mr. Mergevicius predicts Wireless USB will make its debut in the PC market late in 2005 in the form of dongles that hook into USB ports.
"Wireless USB is a technology every PC product maker is looking at for the future," he said. "I'm sure Apple is too."
Pricing a factor in Apple's decision
Although the analysts TMO talked to agree the most popular connection standard won out fair and square, all agreed the issue of saving money had to have been a major factor Apple considered when deciding to cut its Firewire shackles.
"USB is cheaper to install for a manufacturer," said Brian O’Rourke, an analyst with In-Stat who has done extensive research on USB adoption. "It can often be installed at a much cheaper price because many of the components and processors USB works with are already configured to work with it."
Mr. O’Rourke's prime example: The fact that USB 2.0 is integrated into the core logic chipset -- known as SouthBridge -- of all Intel and AMD processors used in Windows-based personal computers. "That makes building in USB 2.0 much easier and cheaper for PC makers," he said.
So how much is Apple saving? According to one analyst who watches component pricing for a living, the savings is a little less than $1.
"I'd say Apple is saving about a dollar by dropping the Firewire cable," IdaRose Sylvester, an analyst with the research firm IDC, told TMO. "While that doesn't sound like a lot of money, it adds up to millions over time."
Firewire lovers fight back
No matter what the reasons, some Mac owners are upset with Apple's decision.
Gary Reich of Annapolis, Md. was so upset, he started an online petition saying "users and supporter" of Apple products are "dismayed" about the Apple decision.
"It is very unfortunate that you have left your faithful out in the dark on this one," Mr. Reich writes on the petition site. "it seems wholly irrational to remove it from the people who provide the support, promotion and word of mouth 'advertising' that provides your company with the millions of 'switchers' you want each year, free of charge."
As of Friday morning, more than 2,800 people had signed the online petition calling on Apple to again include a FireWire cable with iPods.
But despite the concerns of many, fearful that Apple might be ringing the death knell of FireWire, fear not.
"Apple is not going to get rid of Firewire," said Jupiter Research analyst Joe Wilcox. "While USB acceptance was an important factor, Apple has made a cost decision here. It was simply the more prudent strategy. But Firewire is not dead."
Observer Comments
From Article:
Gary Reich of Annapolis, Md. was so upset with the decision, he started an online petition saying "users and supporter" of Apple products are "dismayed" about the Apple decision to drop "standard FireWire support" for the iPod music player.
====
I've seen a lot of dumb petitions, but starting an entire petition to save yourself $19 has got to be one of the dumbest.
And actually, since they lowered the price of the iPods along with this cable change, he's not really spending any extra money at all to buy the cable seperately.
the fact of the matter is, firewire will be around, at least if the video & audio people have anything to say about it. Most pro audio & video devices are firewire... they are apple's core audience... this will make firewire exactly what it has always been - a tool for the pros. besides the fact that it kicks usb 2's butt in transfer speeds (ok, ok, say what you will, i'm just talking from experience; you ever notice how everyone always mentions it as having a "theoretical" peak of 480 mbs...) alright, i'm just rambling now. i don't think anyone should really care about the news. in fact, i think it's great news, it means apple is making more per ipod = APPL goes up too...
Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:39 am Subject: Online petitions
Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:42 am Subject: Glad I got the 40G photo
Quotesrdashiki wrote:
When Pcs still use the BS PS2 connectors for mice/keyboards, and ALL apples have been usb since the colored imacs, WTF is going on in the PC world? They laud their great peripherals and yet THEY STILL HAVE AN ARCHAIC CONNECTION PORT!?
PC users can suck my b*lls. they are such losers. i mean, how many times have you been trying to jam stuff into your usb ports, and some of them, you can't use a hub, some of them have to be directly plugged in otherwise there's not enough power...
dumbasses. firewire 400 IS faster than usb 2.0, google for benchmarks and tests... firewire supports daisy chaining so you dont clog up all your available ports with every bloody usb thing except your toothbrush (for now)...
Personally I would rather pay a lower price for an item, and then get the cable I need than to pay a higher price for an item that includes cables I don't need. Those included cables are part of the price.
Years ago I complained when printer manufacturers stopped including cables. But I realized that in building a cross-platform device, trying to include the cables for all interfaces would have (in the cases of the low end cheapies) practically doubled the price of the printer.
I see the decision for the iPod the same way. It is more cost effective for both Apple and the consumer to leave out the firewire cable, since the majority of purchasers will not use firewire, and pass on the savings by lowering the price. Those wanting firewire can purchase the cable seperately, and still have a net savings with the lower price.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:17 pm Subject: Guest is Right! USB = Another Apple Innovation
I was also going to point out that APPLE pioneered USB. Without the iMac, PCs would probably still be on SCSI and, um...the round one.*
I wouldn't mind seeing Firewire400 go away in favor of USB2.0, which could co-exists with Firewire800. If nothing else, perhaps this will hasten the adoption of FW800.
*A friend of mine uses a very old PC at work. I bought her an iPod Shuffle and told her just to plug it into a USB port. She had no idea what USB was, so I emailed her a pic and told her to look at the end of her keyboard cable for an example of what a USB port looks like. Her response: "It's round." Ugh. How old must that PC be to still have an ADB connector?!
Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:21 pm Subject: Re: Guest is Right! USB = Another Apple Innovation
It's the right decision, but the article is full of shiat. All that needs be said about USB2 is that it is ubiquitous and cheap. It is not comparable to Firewire for speed, the 400 mbit/s speed of Firewire is real and the theoretical top speed of 480 mbits/s of USB2 is a straightforward misrepresentation. Firewire does not load the CPU. Firewire is daisy-chainable. Firewire does not make you switch to a different USB root hub - which you may not even have - if you have a camera or scanner or microphone on the same hub as the iPod. The price difference is not enough to remove all those advantages. It is, in all senses, better.
But that is just the author being an idiot. It is still the right decision.
QuoteGuest wrote:
...firewire supports daisy chaining so you dont clog up all your available ports with every bloody usb thing except your toothbrush (for now)...
You'll need another USB port:
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030222/image/tooth1.jpg
Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:25 pm Subject: not abandonment
The decision to use USB2 is not abandoning Firewire. It is a completely pragmatic decision. PCs have USB connections standard now (finally). They don't have Firewire standard (usually because PC manufacturers are always trying to save a buck to remain competitive). Apple is targeting PC users. iPod is designed to be cross-platform.
Seems a pretty obvious decision to me.
QuoteSmall White Car wrote:
And actually, since they lowered the price of the iPods along with this cable change, he's not really spending any extra money at all to buy the cable seperately.
But it does result in spending money needlessly on something that won't get used.
Apple should allow the included USB cable to be swapped with a Firewire cable free of charge (they can start with the useless one I've got in the closet that came with my 40 gig 4G).
Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:35 pm Subject: Not the only option
I'd say the core problem here is that Apple have actually made using FireWire with the iPod more expensive than using USB2, when there is no real reason to do so. They are actually giving their biggest supporters - Mac users, who are likely to prefer FireWire and often not have access to USB2 - inferior treatment. And don't say that there is a reason to do so, because I am very, very sure that allowing customers to choose at the moment of purchase which to have, as a simple option on the Apple Store, would be no more trouble. A simple page allowing you to tick whether you wanted USB, FireWire, both or neither, would have made all the difference, and treated no users with preference over others.
Incidentally, this preferential treatment of Windows users has arguably been going on ever since the USB2 cable was introduced, though almost certainly unintentionally, since they recieve a more convenient method of charging. Mac users preferring FireWire use the FireWire cable for transferring to their computer, but if they want to charge the iPod through a wall outlet, they have to use the FireWire cable for that, as well - it has to serve double duty. For USB2 users, the USB2 cable can be permenantly dedicated for computer use, and the FireWire dedicated for wall charging use - much better. Considering that Apple now manufacture both USB2 and FireWire wall chargers, I'd have thought it would make sense to offer these as choose-at-purchase features with the iPod as well, again offering more customer-oriented treatment. FireWire users could choose just a FireWire cable, or both cables and a USB2 charger, depending on their preference, at the moment of purchase, perfectly easily and naturally, and USB2 users would have the opposite choice. It would work perfectly. Instead, what have Apple done? Taken the most detestable route and omitted to include a wall charger at all, even with the high-end photo models. While this one one level makes a twisted kind of sense, it's certainly not the most endearing solution, and compromises on customer choice and service - and that is something I hate to see Apple do.
Of course, all that said, I'm too pleased with Apple's moves with the iPod line itself to get too worked up about this. The price points and models are suddenly 100% perfect, and it's easy to see the direction Apple's heading with the line and it looks very nice. Bravo.
There are some inaccuracies in some of these postings. First Apple did NOT pioneer USB, they popularized it. The USB standard originated from Intel and was already on some (not many) PCs before Apple came along and made it a buzzword.
Second your friend's PC, does NOT have an ADB connector on it as those are found only on Apple products. The round connector in the back of her PC is most likely her serial (mouse & keyboard) connectors. Serial mice & keyboards are still common because they are cheaper than their USB counterparts.
Your friend can always go out and buy a $10-$20 USB PCI expansion card to use her Shuffle.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:41 pm Subject: must... get ... though .... story .... without ... screaming
Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:44 pm Subject: Apple Should Just Let People Trade USB Cable For Firewire
Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:46 pm Subject: Re: Inaccuracies abound
QuoteAnonymous wrote:
First Apple did NOT pioneer USB, they popularized it. The USB standard originated from Intel and was already on some (not many) PCs before Apple came along and made it a buzzword.
Question of the day:
Does "pioneer" mean "popularized" or "originated?"
I really think it could mean either which doesn't make the earlier post wrong.
Quotesrdashiki wrote:
When Pcs still use the BS PS2 connectors for mice/keyboards, and ALL apples have been usb since the colored imacs, WTF is going on in the PC world? They laud their great peripherals and yet THEY STILL HAVE AN ARCHAIC CONNECTION PORT!?
why should PCs ditch the PS/2 ports? what kind of amazing transfer speeds do mice and keyboards need? the only advantage to USB keyboards and mice is being able to plug the mouse into the keyboard, or using the keyboard as a USB hub. many people use USB keyboards anyway, and it's nice that PCs at least give you some legacy ports.
PS/2 would be a perfect addition to the mac mini.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:09 pm Subject: Yeah, I Know....
QuoteGuest wrote:
There are some inaccuracies in some of these postings. First Apple did NOT pioneer USB, they popularized it. The USB standard originated from Intel and was already on some (not many) PCs before Apple came along and made it a buzzword.
Second your friend's PC, does NOT have an ADB connector on it as those are found only on Apple products. The round connector in the back of her PC is most likely her serial (mouse & keyboard) connectors. Serial mice & keyboards are still common because they are cheaper than their USB counterparts.
Your friend can always go out and buy a $10-$20 USB PCI expansion card to use her Shuffle.
I know Apple didn't INVENT USB. But they pushed it to become a standard. Sorry if I used a "innovate" instead of "popularize."
Also sorry I don't know the exact term for the PC keyboard's serial port. On an Apple is was called ADB in the olden days. Luckily I didn't have to learn the PC equivalent. The point is, the fact that this still exists on PCs is ridiculous. (See, I'd rather make a point about the adoption of USB than quibble with minutae...but that's just me.)
Lastly, it's her work PC, but thanks anyway.
(please feel free to scrutinize this post now...)
Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:12 pm Subject: Universal, Anyone?
01. Apple did not pioneer USB, Intel did - Apple adapted it. USB was included on many Intel / Intel clone based PCs prior to the release of the original iMac series, for years.
02. Apples decision to replace the 9 pin DIN modem and printer ports with USB did jump start the USB industry, however. Prior to the original iMacs release, USB devices were far and few between and quite expensive.
Even today, when connecting a USB device to a PC [running Windoze 98 Second Edition through XP] may still ask for one to install some related driver. The same device plugged into Macs - get recognized.
03. PC's never came nor come wth ADB [Apple Desktop Bus] ports, they include PS/2 ports. PS/2 was a bus developed by IBM, which closely mimicked the ADB protocol.
04. Yes, Firewire and USB 2.0 are approximately the same speed, on paper; yet, the Firewire protocol still provides quicker data transmission than USB 2.0, overall. USB / USB 2.0 protocols are best for mouse, keyboard, printer, scanner and the like connections. Also, like USB, Firewire devices can be connected via hubs as well, which provided much benefits over daisy chaining.
05. Reversing some of the already provided scenarios - why should one have to purchase an iPod with a USB 2.0 cable - that 'they' have no use for, and then have to pay additioanlly for a needed Firewire cable?
... thus ....
Apple should sell the iPod without any cable, within the iPod's packaging. At the time of the iPods purchase, either a Firewire or USB 2.0 cable would be provided - based on the buyers choice, and included withing the purchase price of the iPod.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:20 pm Subject: Re: Inaccuracies abound
QuoteSmall White Car wrote:
I really think it could mean either which doesn't make the earlier post wrong.
It looks like the original poster wrote, "pioneered using USB in PC's." He did not write, "pioneered USB." Only one interpretation is correct.
It's the people who replied to him who messed it all up.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:26 pm Subject: Not an ADB, not by a longshot
QuoteBilly K wrote:
*A friend of mine uses a very old PC at work. I bought her an iPod Shuffle and told her just to plug it into a USB port. She had no idea what USB was, so I emailed her a pic and told her to look at the end of her keyboard cable for an example of what a USB port looks like. Her response: "It's round." Ugh. How old must that PC be to still have an ADB connector?!
Hey Billy - that round port isn't an ADB, but PS/2. ADB stands for Apple Desktop Bus - would be kind of funny to find even an old PC with one of those.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:30 pm Subject: You Know What Would Be Great?
It would be a mistake to backslide to an ancient form like PS2. Besides, with USB you never have to worry about bent or pulled out pins. This was 1 big reason for moving away from cheap porrly constructed/designed serial and parallel type ports. I don't know how many old style SUN and PS2 keyboards/mice I've had to trash because the pins came loose or where bent when someone jammed them into the port.
Did you know that that round port on a PC is actually a PS/2 port, not ADB?
Heh. Sorry, just couldn't resist.
I think we can all give the guy a break now, no? He got the message already.
Now, about the change, I'm slightly miffed at Apple's decision to include one cable over another. We've gone full circle now. When Apple first released an iPod that worked with Windows, PC users felt a bit left out because you had to have a FW port to use it, which was not common on PCs (still isn't very common now) But now, the pendulum has swung the other way. PC users are getting the royal treatment and Apple is leaving it's loyal Mac base to dish out more money to use their latest iPods. Does that seem fair to anyone? It didn't seem fair to me that early PC iPod users were forced to go with FW, and Apple corrected that. So what's up with forcing those with FW400 and USB 1.1 to pay more money?? I'm in this boat. I have a G4 dual 1ghz tower that I probably won't be replacing for at least another year, but I'm considering getting an iPod Photo, especially once I see how this camera adapter coming in March works. So will I have to shell out another $19 for a cable that costs Apple $1? Why? Seems lame to me.
I like someone else's idea here to not include ANY cable, and let the user decide at purchase. The only issue with that would be in-store purchases. Not much of a problem in Apple retail stores, but what about places like Best Buy? The Apple Store folks will know to tell the first time iPod buyer that they need to purchase a cable to go with it. But will the average Best Buy or CompUSA chump salesclerk know to mention that? If they don't, you will get a bunch of angry iPod buyers returning their purchase complaining they had no cable to connect it to their PC with.
So I don't know what the right decision is here. FW is clearly the better interface. High adoption of a tech does not make it better. Witness Windows for proof of that. But at the same time, Apple has to go with what is popular, and PC users make up a large percentage of the iPod purchases. Hence their decision. I just wish they'd have come up with a way to satisfy Mac users with earlier models too. Making us pay more money to use these new models seems harsh.
"Even today, when connecting a USB device to a PC [running Windoze 98 Second Edition through XP] may still ask for one to install some related driver. The same device plugged into Macs - get recognized."
Although I agree that plug and play works better on the Mac, and it is distinctly plug and pray on the PC, what you have written is not really true, at least not in any meaningful way. The Mac has to have the drivers for the device installed in order to use it correctly just like the PC does - unless you're suggesting that MacOS X contains the drivers for every single usb device ever created then its just a matter of chance whether you have to seek the drivers yourself.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 2:25 pm Subject: Apple popularized USB
Regardless of USB's origins, it would not have survived if Apple hadn't put it on the original iMac.
USB was almost stillborn on the PC because it didn't provide any true functions that other ports weren't doing for less. There were few devices because it was always cheaper (though slower and more awkward) to use parallel and serial ports. And since everyone already had these, the market was larger. Why build USB and sell to a few people, when you can build a parallel device and sell to everyone?
The iMac changed all that. By providing a base of customers that needed USB devices, Apple assured that these devices got made and sold, thus making the market happen.
So Apple helped USB replace inferior technology, and then Intel helped it replace superior technology.
Fri Feb 25, 2005 2:42 pm Subject: Ummm, think you're confused...
First of all, PCs have traditionally not used SCSI, with the exception of servers. Probably less than 1% of desktop PCs sold had SCSI, they generally came with IDE/ATA for hard drives, parallel and RS232 serial ports and PS/2 ports for the mouse and keyboard.
No PCs have ever come with ADB, those round ports are PS/2 ports (which made their debut on the IBM PS/2 series computers way back when and became the standard for the last 20+ years until USB came along.
Of course, I'm assuming you were using the term PC to refer to Windows/Intel based PCs.
Here's what bothers me about this.
Apple is very big on the "out-of-box" experience. Well, imagine that Mac user with last year's iBook. What happens when they go buy an iPod from Apple--the same company that made their iBook--and discovers that it won't charge, won't work, or works very slowly? That's some kind of "out-of-box" experience.
Well, I guess that's one of those "advantages" of using a PC, huh? That the latest and coolest devices work with it? The devices are cheaper because I don't have to pay a "Macintosh tax" to have things work with it.
What annoys me is that Apple sat on it's hands regarding USB 2. The first Mac to support USB 2 was the multi-thousand-dollar PowerMac G5 and that was about a year after PCs started supporting it. So I couldn't get an iBook that supported USB 2 until this past fall.
And, frankly, it's not like Apple dropped FireWire support for the iPod. It works and works fine. So Apple is screwing it's Mac users in order to save one dollar on the cable. Frankly, I thought customer satisfaction was worth more than a dollar to Apple.
But, hey, it's just the Mac users. There aren't that many of them...
QuoteAgreed. In fact, I am hoping that Apple will not include the power adapter, USB cable and belt clip a few years from now. I have all those. Few years from now, replacement market is probably bigger than the new purchase buyers.zewazir wrote:
Personally I would rather pay a lower price for an item, and then get the cable I need than to pay a higher price for an item that includes cables I don't need. Those included cables are part of the price...
Fri Feb 25, 2005 3:26 pm Subject: Re: Apple pioneered USB?, PC's with ADB?
QuoteApple needs to balance between cost and out-of-box experience. Apple had made the hard decision.Anonymous wrote:
...Apple should sell the iPod without any cable, within the iPod's packaging. At the time of the iPods purchase, either a Firewire or USB 2.0 cable would be provided - based on the buyers choice, and included withing the purchase price of the iPod.
QuoteMace wrote:
Few years from now, replacement market is probably bigger than the new purchase buyers.
Good point. I've already got a drawer of firewire cables that I don't need, because so many things came with them. Eventually it will be the same with iPod connection cables.
It's nice to HAVE all those cables, but I KNOW I spent $20 or $30 more for each product I bought because of them. I'd rather have that $100 back now instead of a drawer full of cables I don't use.
Apple doomed it when FW800 required a different connector. It won't last that much longer as an audio or DV port. Audio is already moving to USB2. If USB can get up to the sustained throughput, not just burst speeds, of Firewire for DV streaming, that's all it will take to kiss it good-bye no matter how fast FW gets. That's the only thing keeping FW alive now.
Joe Futral
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