Here are some more information for Port Firewire:

How Firewire Technology Helps Alesis Io26 to Score High Marks Among Music Professionals

FireWire allows peripherals to be connected to a computer. It is a high-speed serial input/output (I/O) technology, devised for this purpose. A FireWire interface is one of the fastest devices developed for using with multimedia peripherals such as video camcorders and other high-speed devices such as the latest hard disk drives and printers.

For instance, G3 Power Macintosh systems come with two FireWire ports with capability of operating up to 400 megabits.

FireWire is similar to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) in many ways. This technology will deliver maximum benefit if used with higher-speed multimedia peripherals such as video camcorders, music synthesizers, and hard disks.

In contrast, USB is useful with lower-speed input devices such as keyboards, mice, and joysticks. These two technologies coexist on Macintosh systems.

FireWire uses its "Hot plug" capability to do away with the need of turning off or restarting the computer when attaching a new peripheral. Its ease of use also derives from other features such as automatic configuration, no device IDs or terminators, and simple-to-use cables. FireWire can support up to 63 devices per computer.

Alesis IO|26 is a FireWire audio / MIDI interface supports upwards of 26 channels of audio, S/PDIF and ADAT digital inputs, plus a built-in 16-channel MIDI interface. It is compatible with PC and Macintosh computers. The features include 8 analog mic/line inputs on "combo" connectors with phantom power and insert jacks, Mic line inserts to patch signal processing equipment directly into the signal path of each channel, ADAT optical input capability, with support for as many as 8 channels of ADAT digital audio, 16 channel MIDI interface, 16 ADAT channels at 44.1 and 48 kHz; 8 SMUX ADAT channels at 88.2 and 96 kHz, Stereo digital, 24-bit S/PDIF connector.

FireWire has revolutionized video on desktop computers. Using FireWire technology, a person can create broadcast-quality video at consumer prices.

The new generation of digital video (DV) camcorders also have FireWire ports. These camcorders rely on digital technology to deliver clean, crisp video, and in the process deal older analog formats a death blow. So, a FireWire connection brings video captured as digital data without any conversion losses, directly into your computer. In other words, you get a perfect digital copy, thanks to FireWire technology.

Thus, FireWire is a state-of-the-art technology that helps make the Alesis IO|26 the perfect computer interface for any project that incorporates digital audio and/or MIDI, including musicians who look for a fast, effective interface for recording vocals and musical instruments. It is ideal for audio professionals, who prepare audio (dialog or music) for presentations or other visually oriented materials, and composers scoring for picture, computer games, and other multimedia content.

Alesis iO26 has switchable high impedance input on channels 1 and 2 for recording guitars and basses, 8 balanced line outputs (quarter-inch TRS), S/PDIF output, All I/O is balanced / 24-bit with support for 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 kHz sample rates, Five-segment signal/clip LED ladders on each input, Two headphone outputs with individual level control, Dual FireWire ports ensures use of additional devices.

Hardware requirements for Alesis io26 are Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 2.0 Ghz or faster, 1 Gig RAM or more, Windows Vista / XP Service Pack 2 or higher.

FireWire technology has made Alesis iO26 a dream come true for music professionals.

About the Author

Richard J. Runion is the President of Geostar Publishing & Services LLC. Rich loves net research & blogging. His new blog on Alesis i026 FireWire Interface is fast becoming popular, as it is comprehensive and well-researched. Read his blog at: http://www.alesisio26review.com

How do I import MiniDV to my computer without a FireWire port on the computer?

I'm looking into buying a camcorder and was told that MiniDV camcorder's record at higher quality than DVD based ones. With a few searches I realised most people were importing video via firewire. I looked at my laptop and my brother's computer and neither has a firewire port. How do I import without?

You don't.

Since you did not tell us which laptops, we have no way to know if either has an available PCMCIA or ExpressCard expansion slot so you can add a firewire port. Firewire, IEEE1394, DV and i.LINK are all the same thing.

USB won't work. USB-to-firewire cable/converter/adapter/hub things won't work.

Good for you for staying away from DVD based camcorders - they barely make useful doorstops - no one should ever waste their money on one.

If your laptops do not have an expansion slot, your other option is to look into flash memory camcorders (like the Canon FS series for standard definition and the HF series for high definition) that copy files over USB - then many times need to be converted - I like MPEG StreamClip for that.
http://www.squared5.com/
Their file types compress more than miniDV tape does, but not as much as DVD... Hard disc drive camcorders also use the same file types as flash memory, but their known issues with vibration and altitude - and data recovery when the camcorder breaks - make them fall off the short list).

OWC launches "first-ever" quad interface, portable 1TB drive
OWC has launched its OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini 1TB portable drive, which it claims is the first ever 2.5-inch 1TB drive shipped with a quad interface. The bus-powered drive has eSATA, USB 2.0, and FireWire 800/400 connectivity in a brushed aluminum, fanless enclosure. In addition to the new 1TB capcity, the drives are also available with 7200RPM 500GB drives and solid-state drives up to ...

Thanks for visiting!