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I sometimes cringe when I read an article that deals with technical issues in mainstream media sources. More often than not critical technical specifications are incorrectly interpretted. I found the overall tone of this article to be contentious and needlessly damaging to the Apple iPod as well. FireWire (IEEE 1394) peripherals have been around for awhile now, even for Windows-based PCs (Apple computers are personal computers too!). These include video cameras, hard drives, and anything that requires a fast connection and usually a power source. FireWire has already been included on many Windows-based PCs from mainstream manufacturers. I have an IEEE 1394 connection on my Dell Inspiron 8100 laptop (but no USB 2.0). It was included as a standard feature. Sony computers also usually include IEEE 1394. Note: as far as I know Apple has a trademark on FireWire (so I should write FireWire™ instead…) which is why many manufacturers call it IEEE 1394 instead, it is the same thing. The iPod is not the cause of this “dilemma”. The article confuses MBps and Mbps. While this may seem insignificant, it is actually very important, as MBps is eight times greater than Mbps. This is an essential distinction that is learned very quickly by even those newest to bandwidth calculations. The article states that USB 2.0 and FireWire are very similar in performance (USB 2.0 is “every bit as fast”). They are not. FireWire provides better performance as it communicates directly with other hardware. USB 2.0 must always go through the CPU. FireWire also sends more power to devices sometimes eliminating the need for an external power cord (another expense for the manufacturer). The article states that the cost of a FireWire card is about $50. A quick search reveals several FireWire cards for about $25. While the upgrade may be “relatively simple” (relative to what?) the process of installing the hardware is certainly the deterring factor, not the price. Many warranties today are voided if you open your computer case (absurd, but a topic to write about another day). The article even has a type in the headline (”PluggedIn”, fixed on Mayron.net, not on Yahoo). Regardless, the iPod is an interesting product.