Please help with opinion about Firewire versus i.Link

[ikeman]

Hi,

Please Help.....I am arguing with Toshiba about their Firewire.....I purchased a Toshiba laptop the 2430 S255 model in which it claims to have FireWire port. This was the decisive factor for me in the purchase.

After receiving it, I find out that it is not FireWire...they have an i.Link port. Although, I understand the bus speeds are the same for the two names of the 1394 standard. I belive there is one difference. The FireWire is the 1394 standard with bus power. The i.Link is not powered. This is a big difference since I cannot run my external devices which require Firewire as their data tranfser and power source. i.Link does not do this.

This is where I am arguing with Toshiba. They say it is the same thing, which I agree as far as data transfer rates/protocols. They say there are i.Link ports on the market that are powered. I disagree and asked them to send me evidence ot this.

I said to them, "then why make the distinction in calling the port an i.Link port in the products spec when the ads say it is a Firewire port? They have not gotten back to me yet since I gave this response.

Can anyone offer their opinion please about in the normal go of things ...how would you think about Firewire and i.Link? Do you make a distinction?

Thank you

Ike

BOTTOM LINE: I BELIEVE MOST PEOPLE REFER THAT FIREWIRE IS THE POWERED 1394 STANDARD AND ILINK IS SIMPLY THE 1394 STANDARD NO BUS POWER. OR THAT FIREWIRE IS THE 6 PIN AND I.LINK IS THE 4 PIN

 

[jumpy]

I think Toshiba are in the wrong here. That is called false advertising if they call it a Firewire port when it is not. Do you have a consumer rights association in the country you are in? I'd talk to them about it if toshiba are being a$$es about it.

 

[lurker2100]

AFAIK, i.Link is just Sony's name for IEEE 1394. Apple holds the copyright on the term "Firewire" so Sony had to come up with something else. (Although Apple has loosened it's grip recently.)

On the issue of power, any "i.Link" interface I've ever seen is only the 4-pin variety which, unlike the 6-pin variety, does not provide power. Both are valid implementations of the 1394 standard, though.

 

[Jz1397-5]

toshiba is in the wrong, however i can see why they used an iLink instead of the actual Firewire port. when you are running on a laptop you only have limited battery resources, another drive would suck that up pretty quick.
but with your case, it is false advertising, and the company should be held responcible.